Dojo Info 3/31/08

1. Netflix glitch to delay deliveries
   “Ruh roah.” -Scooby
2. Free Web version of Photoshop launches
   Looks pretty cool. Check it out.
3. N.J. Boy, 5, Saves Choking Grandmother
   That’s all there was to it? Sounds to me like the Grandma embellished the story to make her Grandson a hero, but I quibble.
4. Rose Refused Stiches Due to Needle Phobia
   Far be it from me to rag on the guy for a phobia. After all, I’ve been known to fly off the handle at the merest mention of poodles. Bleech. It was tough just typing the word.
5. Still Alive for Rock Band Free Tommorrow
   Free d/l of ‘Still Alive’ for RockBand. Nice.

From Wanna-Be to Rock Star

Ok, now I’m a bit suspicious but this guy claims that Rock Band made him the drummer he is today. Uh huh… right.

Never, Give Up Bryan Anderson

Two years ago, a bomb in Iraq took his legs and an arm. Now Bryan Anderson needs a hand that won’t break all the time when he’s skateboarding or, someday, holding his kids. And is it too much to ask that wheelchairs start looking a little cooler? As Anderson and other veterans push the technology, the technology responds.

Very cool story about a guy who could have called it a life, but instead refused to give up and is now an inspiration to people like me.

Give it a read if you’ve got the time.

Sickness Abounds!

Hi all,
Quick little blurbage alerting the world to stay the heck away from the Paladin compound. Yesterday our youngest completed, not one, but two projectile vomiting sessions. Of course, they were in two separate rooms. Lovely, we didn’t like that sofa very much anyway.

Today, I pick up Son #1 and Son #2 at a friends sleepover, only to find we’re approaching pandemic proportions as Son #2 was having difficulty even picking himself up off the floor. Never a good sign.

On the drive home, I had the prayer “not in the car” on auto-loop. God answered “yes” this time. We count ourselves fortunate that his release point was commode focused. My wife was attired in her usual doctor’s mask and rubber gloves. (I’m not kidding.)

So please keep the Paladin crew in your prayers as we still have 3 (somewhat) healthy humans still in play. In a way, it’s like having one of those countdown clocks ticking where you’re constantly reminding that when the buzzer goes off, we won’t be celebrating a victory but rather the arrival of a beastly scourge.

Cheers!
-Paladin

Pixel Couch Makes Gamers Feel Right at Home

Video games are expanding out into everyday life more and more. Did you see the Tetris shelves? Gamers have to be loving this movement!

Dojo Info 3/27/08

1. World’s Biggest Jet Flies to London
   Would that come with the World’s Longest Plane Delay?
2. Rocker Redoes Anthem for Barack Obama
   Jay Jay? You were lame before. And this isn’t helping.
3. FBI posts fake hyperlinks…
   I love the idea. These lowlifes need to be rounded up and shot into space.
4. Digg Bitch Slaps Kid For 360 Ransom
   Couldn’t the police at least have done something? He had the dude’s photo!
5. Facebook’s goes hyper-viral with ‘People You May Know’
   You can waste hours playing with this thing.

Fools Rush In…

…

Making a fool of oneself has apparently become a national pastime. Good times!

Michigan Girl’s Birthday Wish Comes True

At her seventh birthday party, Amber Birdsall thought the huge gift box wrapped in pink paper likely hid a pair of bicycles.

She was wrong. Inside was something she wanted even more — her stepfather, a soldier who had been deployed overseas.

”This is way better than bikes,” Amber said.

I just love stuff like this!

Dojo Info 3/22/08

1. The Kite Runner
   Some critics are calling this the year’s best film.
2. CHTHO’s Cultural Blunder and Documentary Production on World’s Oldest Animation
   Could be. Interesting.
3. Killians Fault
   Here’s a band to keep an eye on. Getting some positive press.
4. Rock Band to release in-game music store
   Right, right, ok, I get it… huh? So what you’re saying is that making it easier to grab DLC will make the company more money? Oh yeah… that does make sense. </sarcasm>
5. DLC Week: March 25th – Boston Pack
   Master Boson tracks?!? Now you’re talking!

Size Matters Not

“A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

So… Horton is pro-life? Well, of course he is.

Dojo Info 3/19/08

1. New Rock Band Songs Revealed
   Uhh… “Blinded By Fear” by At The Gates, “Thrasher” by Evile and “D.O.A.” by the Hunted? Color me unimpressed. There hasn’t been a good DLC song in quite some time. Let’s get to work guys!
2. Gaps ‘narrowing slightly’ in study of NCAA teams’ graduation rates
   Number one? Our very own Western Kentucky. I would never have guessed.
3. Video: Luxim’s tiny but powerful plasma lightbulb
   Pretty sweet!
4. Rock Band Guitar String Mod
   What will they think of next?
5. Crowds Hear ‘Horton’ Hauling in $45M
   Can’t say that I’m totally psyched about this film… but it could be fun. Right?

It’s Official! New Baby on the Way!

Anyone who’s ever met me, knows that one of my favorite expressions is, “The more, the merrier!”

Don’t look now, but official “big family” status, here we come!

(Anyone who’d like to make a donation to our new Mac & Cheese family meal plan, please email me privately.)

The Brackets Are Out!

The brackets are out! The brackets are out! So, how did the committee do? Very well, actually. Here are my only gripes:

• If Tennessee didn’t deserve one of the four #1 seeds after having the #1 RPI with the #1 strength of schedule (I don’t know what’s the deal with that) then they certainly didn’t deserve to be the #2 in the same bracket as the overall #1 seed North Carolina. Ooops!
• Duke received a gift with a #2 but hey, they’re Duke right? At least Georgetown took their Raleigh, NC location. I’d say Wisconsin deserved that spot a bit more than everyone’s favorite team to hate.
• UCLA has the easiest road to the Final Four of all the #1 seeds, by a large margin. Now watch A&M take them out in Round 2.
• Butler got the shaft with a #7; deserved at worst a #5.
• The ACC only got (4) teams in. Hahaha!
• Arizona didn’t deserve to get in, IMO. I would have given their slot to Dayton or Illinois St.
• The committee always puts Kentucky up against Marquette, UAB, Utah, Michigan St. or Iowa? Is that a rule I don’t know about?
• Rooting Interests: As always, pull against UCLA, North Carolina, Duke & Kansas. That goes w/o saying. Other than that, not a huge fan of Georgetown or UConn. Pulling for some SEC upsets and, of course, everyone’s favorite NCAA team, the proverbial underdog… (drumroll please)… let’s go UMBC! Who is UMBC? I’ve been doing brackets since I was 6 and I’ve never once heard of them.
• Prime Consideration: I hear all these mentally challenged talking heads talk about expanding the field. Can anyone tell me why we’d want to water-down the greatest post-season experience in all of sports?!? Oh… that’s right. Money. *sigh*

What do you think?

Dojo Info 3/15/08

1. Brawl Doesn’t Work With Some Wii
   Are you kidding?!? They’ve delayed this game for months and there are still problems?
2. His Cup Runneth Over: A Warrior’s Thanks (Part 1)
   Very cool story. Here are Part 2 and Part 3.
3. Facebook App Lets Users Send Movie Clips
   Haven’t tried it yet, but if it’s easy to do, which Facebook usually is, it’ll be a slick feature.
4. DirecTV takes on video-on-demand
   Well it’s about freakin’ time. C’mon people, let’s pick up the pace!
5. A Boy Named Sue, and a Theory of Names
   Cash was an innovative, that’s certain.

College Basketball Madness

In my book, this is the best time of the year to be a sports fan. NFL is good; their playoffs even better. The NBA season is a yawn but their post-season picks up a bit. Baseball? Seriously?!? Hockey, nope. Tennis, forgetabout. Golf? Only The Masters even gets a look.

I’m sorry, but no other sporting event demands my attention like March Madness. It’s like a bloody pit bull; grabbing me by the neck and refusing to let go. (How’s that for a pleasant metaphor?) So it’s with great anticipation that we come upon the 2008 Edition of March Madness. It’s especially grand this year because as recently as a month and a half ago, if you had told me the Wildcats would make the NCAA I would have fallen to the ground in a fit of laughter.

Selection Sunday is two short days away, but first, we get the Georgia Bulldogs in Catlanta. Let’s take care of business.

Go Big Blue!