Merry Christmas post

Thank you everyone for your comments, and excellent points. I've been blogging for over a year and never have I gotten such a response. I thank you for reading, and especially thank you for sharing your thoughts. I do have respect for the points each of you made.

What do I do with my tree now?

A great article from the Hillsboro Argus has some great ideas. Click here for more.

Merry Christmas... There, I said it.

I realize its suddenly become a taboo of sorts to say Merry Christmas.

We don't want to exclude or offend.

I mean, don't say "God bless you" when someone sneezes.

It's, "bless you", or "Gesundheit" to be really safe.

I noticed while shopping this year, many clerks didn't say Merry Christmas to me as I was checking out.

Some did, however, respond with a polite "thank you", "you too" or "Happy Holidays".

Bleh.

Some answered with a happy, "Merry Christmas to YOU", my favorite because it felt like they were almost relieved that it was suddenly okay to say it because a customer had said it to them.

Who ARE these people that we are worried about offending?

Has anyone EVER gotten a negative response for a "God bless you" or a "Merry Christmas"? The Christmas trees downtown are, what... "Holiday Trees" now? How many other holidays besides Christmas and Arbor day are represented by trees?

None.

Friends, its a Christmas tree.

The Christmas time nativity seen is what... a "Holiday Homeless Family"?

What will the mighty political correctness movement offer us next?

Can't we agree that its not offensive to say, or hear, a well intended salutation and move on to other more pressing matters in our world?


**** Update 12/31/05....
Thank you everyone for your comments, and excellent points. I've been blogging for over a year and never have I gotten such a response. I thank you for reading, and especially thank you for sharing your thoughts. I do have respect for the points each of you made.

Faaaancy Footwork

The NBA's Most Valuable Player, Steve Nash of my Phoenix Suns, is an amazing, amazing athlete. Check out this fantastic clip featuring his amazing footwork blending basketball and soccer.

Suns stats and stuff

** Phoenix is in a first-place tie in the Pacific Division after yesterday's 111-83 rout of Seattle. And the Suns haven't played with that guy Amare yet.

** Entering Tuesday, Phoenix was second in the NBA to San Antonio for least points yielded per possession.

** Seven Suns were posting career-high scoring averages entering Tuesday. They are Jones (10.2), Nash (18.3), Bell (12.4), Burke (4.8), Barbosa (13.9), Boris Diaw (10.6) and Eddie House (10.1).

** Shawn Marion ranks first in USA Today's Divergent Skills Gauge, a versatility scale that sums up dunks, three-point shots made, blocks and steals and subtracts fouls.
Marion's total of 101 entering Tuesday blew away the next closest players, Cleveland's LeBron James (62) and Seattle's Rashard Lewis (61).

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Hoodie

How cute is she?

Snow on my Jetta

NBC, Apple announce iTunes TV show deal

NBC Universal and Apple on Tuesday announced a deal that brings NBC television content to Apple’s iTunes Music Store. iTunes now offers more than 300 episodes of 16 shows, according to the statement.

Like ABC’s content, new NBC shows will be uploaded and available from iTunes the day after they’re broadcast.

The videos can be played back on any Mac or PC running the latest update to iTunes, and can also be downloaded and played back on Apple’s recently released video-capable iPods.

NBC TV content available on iTunes includes Law & Order, The Office, Surface, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Monk, the Sci-Fi Channel’s production of Battlestar Galactica, and classics like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dragnet, Adam 12 and Knight Rider.

How to help...

Oregon Community Warehouse is a nonprofit agency in Portland that provides furniture and household items to people in need, at no cost. Their goal is to help low-income individuals and families improve their quality of life by providing the basic items needed to set up a home.

OCW works in partnership with over 120 social services agencies in the Portland metro area. These agencies refer those clients in need of basic household items, including women escaping domestic violence, individuals and families who have been homeless, elderly persons, people with mental and physical disabilities, migrant and refugee families, youth and adults recovering from substance abuse, and the working poor.

Your donations of furniture and household items go directly to people in need.

Visit http://www.oregoncommunitywarehouse.org/ for details. Or click here

News junkies rejoice!

CNN.com on Monday launched the CNN Pipeline, an on-demand broadband video service.

The cable news company said the new service is "designed to revolutionize the way people view news online." The company added the Pipeline service gives users control of multiple live video streams, CNN's video archives and on-demand news clips from CNN's newsgathering operation around the world.

Update: I didn't realize when I first posted this, you have to pay for it.

Bleh.

Almost a cool idea.

Sportscenter on the go!

Walt Disney Co.'s ESPN cable sports network is mulling a deal to distribute some television programs on Apple's iTunes music and video service, possibly joining its corporate cousin in a landmark deal, ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer said on Monday.

Photo: (Monica Davey/Reuters)

No more knee whacking for you....

A judge has refused to clear the record of the man who whacked skater Nancy Kerrigan on the knee in 1994, likely ending his hopes to become a Navy SEAL.

Shane Stant says the Navy's special warfare unit will not accept anyone with a felony conviction.

Portland tops UCLA to win NCAA women's title

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Christine Sinclair scored two goals and Portland beat UCLA 4-0 in the NCAA women's soccer national championship game on Sunday.Angie Woznuk added a goal and an assist for the Pilots (24-0-2), who won their second title in three years. Portland beat Santa Clara 2-1 in the 2002 championship game.

This year, Portland became the only team other than North Carolina to finish an unbeaten season with a championship.

Left Photo: AP
Right Photo: JAMIE FRANCIS/The Oregonian

TiVo to let users buy movie tickets, check traffic

TiVo Inc. on Thursday said some customers can now buy movie tickets and check local weather on their television, yet another upgrade aimed at proving its set-top box is more valuable than ones made by its cable and satellite rivals.

The services, include access to the movie ticket system Fandango, online radio via Live365, and the ability to listen to Internet-based programing, or podcasts. Users can also view traffic, weather and personal photos from Yahoo Inc.

(PRNewsFoto/Reuters)

People! Step away from the Hotmail!

Microsoft Corp. said Friday that some people who use its Hotmail and MSN e-mail services are not receiving e-mail sent from Comcast Corp. accounts and other Internet service providers.

Verizon to Offer Cell Phone TV Service

Verizon Wireless has signed on as the first cellular carrier that will offer a broadcast TV network for mobile phones that Qualcomm Inc. plans to launch in late 2006.

Remember the movie "Face Off"?

Doctors who recently gave a French woman the world's first partial face transplant did not try normal reconstructive surgery first, raising questions about whether the operation was ethical.

Montgomery Marks Rosa Parks Anniversary

Hundreds of children marched today from the site where Rosa Parks made history 50 years ago, commemorating the anniversary of the day she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man.

Fire, Fire, Firefox!

Mozilla to release Firefox 1.5 today

After a host of test releases and one false start, a new version of the Firefox browser will be ready today, according to a media alert issued by the Mozilla Foundation on Monday.

Firefox 1.5 will be available for free on this afternoon, U.S. Pacific Standard Time, at www.getfirefox.com and www.mozilla.com, according to the open-source group. A complete press release outlining the new features in Firefox 1.5, as well as some additional Mozilla news, will be issued at the time the new version is available.

The Firefox update adds better pop-up blocking and a host of security enhancements, according to Mozilla. Other new features include the addition of Answers.com to Firefox’s list of search engines and a Clear Private Data function that allows users to quickly remove personal data through a menu item or keyboard shortcut.

Firefox, which celebrated its one-year anniversary Nov. 9, has become a popular alternative to Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer browser. Last month, downloads of Firefox topped 100 million.

Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service

Swwwwweeeeet!

For those of you who know about digital video, compression and portability... you'll love this. The rest of you, maybe not so much.

Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2 records video to PSP

By Peter Cohen pcohen@maccentral.com

Neuros Technology International LLC has announced their Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2, a device that records video straight to memory cards for Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP), without requiring a Mac or PC to transfer first. The Neuros MPEG-4 Recorder 2 is shipping now and costs US$149.99.

The PSP can connect to a Macintosh through its USB 2.0 interface, which can be used to convert and transfer video and other content to the Memory Stick Pro Duo card the PSP uses to store data. Neuros’ MPEG-4 Recorder 2 saves you that intermediate step, enabling you to record directly from your video source to the Memory Stick, without having to go through the computer first.

You can record directly from any video sources, including cable TV, satellite, PVRs and DVRs. The device records to MPEG-4 video format to Memory Stick or Compact Flash media. A remote control is included.

The MPEG-4 Recorder 2 supports three resolution settings and four recording quality settings, and supports Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) for sound. It’s also firmware-upgradable.

Floating beef

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

Tivo! Tivo!

My good friend Sonja recently left me a voicemail, extremely excited about a new Tivo feature. Its her excitement that is so very cool. The new Tivo feature is pretty neat, too.

Rock on, Tivo buddy... Rock on.

Mini!

Yes, that IS an octopus on the building. With a santa hat.

Holiday Peanuts

I just bought the Peanuts Holiday Collection! (A Charlie Brown Christmas/A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown) [DVD] Available online for $27.99. List price: $39.99. You Save: $12.00 (30%)

I didn't get it online, I bought it from a physical store in Beaverton, where they thow in a $5 Target gift card card!

I mean... what's the matter with you that you don't already own these movies? Go buy them! I'm convinced they are good for all of us. I can't wait to show these to my own kids someday.

Come talk to me

If you read my humble site even occasionally, you probably know I don't really post much in the way of my own personal thoughts. I usually post what I think are interesting articles that express ideas that I feel something for.

A realm I feel is pretty safe.

It's the posting of intimate feelings and thoughts that scare me. Being vulnerable to the strangers and the great wide open that is the internet thats pretty frightening.

I've seen so much go wrong after someone posts their personal thoughts in a blog, or even in an email to only one person.

Doing something like this online where everyone can read it is like walking through a minefield in bare feet.

Its asking for trouble.

What is my point? I don't know. Other than to say, I really feel the need to get this off of my chest. And for now, this seems like the best way. So this posting isn't really me saying my usual, "here is something I hope you enjoy".

This is me saying: "Here is something."

As much as I love the internet, and blogs, what happened to me tonight serves as a reminder that when reading a blog or an email, one should be mindful that what is on the screen is subjective. In many ways it is not real. I've said for years that I am a huge believer in the power of one on one, face to face, uninterrupted, quality time communication.

Its why I became a counselor.

Because it is in that framework where wars have ended, marriages have healed and disaster averted.

The writers of blogs and emails - and their readers, should never forget that.

There is no substitute for being there. Its another level of courage, respect and dedication between two people to share a message in the flesh.

Something Wal-Mart This Way Comes

Students for Unity and The Rearguard will host a screening of the film "Walmart: the high cost of low price" by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films. Director, Robert Greenwald, will be at the screening of this new film, for a Q and A before the film begins. 5th Ave. Cinema in between SW 6th and 5th ave. on Hall street. Downtown by Portland State. November 19th at 7PM. Free! My wise, good friend Cyndi gave her endorsement to this film. Check out what she had to say.

Rise!

Good news from the Arizona Republic about Phoenix Suns superstar Amaré Stoudemire. His progress is on schedule and he should begin walking without crutches in two weeks, team physician Thomas Carter said.

The most encouraging news might be how Stoudemire's lower body is reacting to the non-impact rehabilitation he undergoes with Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson. Stoudemire's thigh muscle mass has not decreased. It is highly unusual for a person to not have some decrease in muscle after knee surgery and using crutches for a month.

Read to me

Google Inc. last week said it has added more public-domain books to its Google Print service. The books come from libraries at the University of Michigan, Harvard University, Stanford University and the New York Public Library and can be viewed in their entirety in the Google database.

Say Cheese

Canon has introduced its PowerShot SD430 digital camera, which features built-in wireless networking.

Sony's latest digital still camera, the DSC-T9, incorporates two anti-blur systems for people who can never seem to take a clear picture.

Mac takes bite out of Windows

Paul Andrews writes for the Seattle Times, “Hardly a week goes by that I don’t hear from a friend or colleague with a monumental Windows problem. I tell them I’m glad to help, on one condition: Next time they buy a computer, they agree to consider a Macintosh. A year ago, after a particularly trying week of spyware, adware, viral attacks, lock-ups and reboots, I changed my primary computer to a Mac.” [Nov 07, 2005]

Video killed the radio star

NEW YORK - "Desperate Housewives" on your iPod. Jay Leno's monologue on your cell phone. Brian Williams delivering the night's news on your computer. And "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" available whenever you want to watch it — not just Thursday night.

Each of those developments became possible in the past few weeks, part of an extraordinarily tumultuous period in TV.

The autumn of 2005 will doubtless be remembered as the time when all assumptions about the rules of television were thrown into the air and scattered, with no certainty about what happens when they land.

The most shocking event clearly was Apple's deal with The Walt Disney Co. in October to make reruns of "Lost" and other programs available for downloading to iPods for $1.99. In less than three weeks, Apple said a million videos were sold.

"That's a significant amount of money," said Rob Enderle, an analyst for the Enderle Group. "I honestly believe that's going to change a lot of minds in terms of providing programming for this medium."

Some worry this service will make people less likely to watch these hit shows on television. But many in the industry believe fans who may have missed an episode represent the biggest market.

NBC began offering a same-night replay of "Nightly News" online, the first network news broadcast to take that step.

America Online anticipated only a few hundred applicants for "The Biz," its online-only music talent contest. Instead, it got 9,000. AOL is expected to announce Monday a new initiative to show old TV programming.

AOL's successful Webcast of the Live 8 concert last summer opened many eyes to the possibilities of Internet TV, and so did simple demographics. About 35 million homes now have broadband access (compared to 110 million homes with TVs), and about half of those online users say they've watched video online, said Josh Bernoff, principal analyst for the Forrester Group.

"I don't think usage of the mobile phone TVs will come anywhere close to the home television as a principal viewing device," he said. "But the evidence suggests that it's a handy way of spending time when you're waiting two minutes for a bus or for a friend at the bar."

Ultimately, this fall's most far-reaching development may be last Monday's dual announcements by Viacom Inc.'s CBS and NBC that it would begin selling replays of its most popular shows on an on-demand basis through Comcast Corp. and DirecTV Group Inc., respectively.

It gives a tantalizing peek into a television landscape where viewers can decide when to watch their favorites. While the Internet and cell phone choices work around the margins of television fare, these deals involve the most popular programs on television.

"Mark down the date," Bernoff wrote after the announcement. "Today is the beginning of the end of the television schedule."

Telephone companies SBC Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. are also preparing to roll out Internet Protocol, set-top technology that could allow consumers to choose from among multiple camera angles while watching a program or search the Internet for information about the actors.

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer

Hands, Prayer, and Random Goodness

Ali G on TNT

Check out these awesome, hilarious new ads from TNT featuring Ali G.

My favorite is with "M.P. Free", Steve Nash.

33

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A man got a prison term longer than prosecutors and defense attorneys had agreed to -- all because of Larry Bird.

The lawyers reached a plea agreement last month for a 30-year term for a man accused of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery. But Eric James Torpy wanted his prison term to match Bird's jersey number 33.

``He said if he was going to go down, he was going to go down in Larry Bird's jersey,'' Oklahoma County District Judge Ray Elliott said. ``We accommodated his request and he was just as happy as he could be.

``I've never seen anything like this in 26 years in the courthouse. But, I know the DA is happy about it.''

My Dad, My Hero

Apple on Time

Check out the article here.

Welcome aboard Blogger Buddies!

My amazing friends from high school have caught the Blogger bug! Cyndi (left) and Erin (right) drove from Phoenix to Portland in August to see me graduate. Check out both of their sites and give them a warm welcome to the land of blog.

You can visit Cyndi's blog and Erin's blog by clicking on "Links" in the upper left corner of this page.

Dez on TV

Sonja (the one without fur) was nice enough to allow me to have a visit with Dez (the furry one) through the magic of a webcam and the internet.

Turn off your phone...

GREEN BAY - Like moviegoers everywhere, the Green Bay Packers are fed up with interruptions caused by those annoying cell phones going off at the most inopportune time.

So, coach Mike Sherman cut short his weekly news conference Wednesday when a camera operator's phone rang, and the team canceled quarterback Brett Favre's weekly briefing when the culprit failed to 'fess up.

The cell phone went off about 16 minutes into what is normally about a 25-minute news conference when Sherman was in the middle of answering a question about his defense.

"I don't understand that," Sherman, a former high school history teacher, said as he walked away from the podium in the media auditorium. "That stuff to me, to be honest with you, is a total lack of respect for each other. Forget me, you don't have to respect me. But respect each other."

The Packers were hoping peer pressure would result in the offending individual coming forward. But when that didn't happen, Favre's news conference was canceled for the first time since the Mike Holmgren era a decade ago.

-- Arnie Stapleton, AP

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Oregon will put sex-offender list online

Gov. Ted Kulongoski has signed a bill requiring the Oregon State Police to set up and maintain a Web site with a list of high-risk sex offenders.

"This is one of the better approaches in getting information out to the public about sexual predators," Kulongoski said.

"I think this is the right thing to do. It is going to give citizens more information than they have now, and it is going to bring about better protection for them," he said.

The new law was sponsored by state Rep. Jerry Krummel, R-Wilsonville, who drafted it after the mother of a college student began pushing for a way to determine if any sexual predators lived in the neighborhood near her daughter.

Before the bill passed, Oregon and South Dakota were the only states without statewide Web sites.

The U.S. Department of Justice plans a national registry after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2003 that states could list sex offenders on Web sites.

Oregon's site will not list all 11,000 sex offenders outside prison. But it will list an estimated 500 sex offenders classified by the state Parole Board as high risk.

The board's "predatory" classification came into question earlier this year when the Oregon Supreme Court decided that the board violated an offender's constitutional right to due process because the offender had no opportunity to object.

Krummel said that he has been assured the legal problem will be resolved.

The state police are on track to start the Web site by the law's deadline of July 1, he said.

Pink Ride

Angry sundae

Arrrg!

Procrastinators... UNITE!

Thankfully, with the national rehabilitation counseling test being offered again in April, I contacted the board and have been cleared to take it then as opposed to October 29th. Its a huge test, and if I don't HAVE to take it now... why should I? I'll plan to study with the rest of my friends who are also taking it then so when that time rolls around, we can all talk about studying together and not actually do it.

I feel much better. Pass the Halloween candy and the remote.

Computer expert: "Get off the Windows platform"

A computer expert on a computer support tv show entitled "Call For Help" (which is aired worlwide on a cable network) was asked: "what are some steps I can do to stop spyware and viruses from getting on my computer?"

The answer is beyond cool... (for Mac fans).

Dez

Quite possibly the coolest cat.
EVER.

Photo courtesy of Sonja Petersen

What do you mean MORE studying!?

Yes.

More.

I thought I was free of major tests for awhile once I finished by Masters in August.

Yes and no.

I had a two month break. I have a national certification exam for my rehabilitation certification on October 29th. The day after my 30th birthday. How lucky is THAT!? I could have put this test off like many of my friends until April. But, April is when the NBA playoffs start and I'll be in front of a TV most of the month. Unless you have no unusual hobbies you enjoy, or similar activities that you go crazy for... Not a word. And if you don't... I'm a bit sad for you.

So, this may be my final post for October. I may be slow to call or write anyone. Thanks for your patience, support and understanding.

For those of you who are interested in carrying on the tradition of last year and singing happy birthday on or aound October 28th, you can do so at my 24 hour voicemail only line, 425-940-5075. The line really is available 24 hours a day and is just a voicemail. Call anytime to say hello, or whatever is on your mind.

While I'm certainly not charging for the call, standard long distance charges apply. "425" is a Washington area code.

Feel free to listen to last year's greatest hits by clicking here. How cool are my friends and family? I'm a lucky guy. Lucky, lucky.

And yes, if you don't want your message posted, of course thats fine. Theres a small servirce charge associated with that. No worries.

A look back

To commemorate the one year anniversary of my humble site, I thought it might be cool to take a look back at some of my favorite posts from the 581 I've posted since this site made its way online on July 11, 2004. (And no... I didn't count my posts...Blogger automatically tracks the number of posts.)

Feel free to comment, submit a favorite post, and any suggestions you may have to improve the site in the future.

My sincere thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do posting.

Some of my favorites from the last year...

Friends and Family...

Brother and sister reach the finish line
I just called... to say...
Hangin' with the crew
Sleepy Dez
Pets on Parade
Graduation 2005
Thank you...
Mi amiga

Dan online...

Welcome to the building
Need a bike?
Look what I found...
Mo' money, mo' problems

Other highlights...

Not just a geek's diary anymore
Sorry. No cancelling allowed.
Numb Hands
Blah, Blah, Blog
Scientists Claim Discovery of 10th Planet
Best of Election 2004
Busy Day
MSN Site Hacking Went Undetected for Days
Apple's Tiger Named the Best Operating System by PC Magazine
Its official!!
NBA's Most Valuable Player: Phoenix's Steve Nash
Suns vs. Lakers
A gathering like no other
Challenge Vader
Dolphin Fantasy
Blessing or curse?

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

In 1988, Congress declared October to be "National Disability Employment Awareness Month." National Disability Employment Awareness Month recognizes the talents, skills, and dedication of people with disabilities who are a vital part of our workforce.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which has opened doors for countless Americans by removing barriers to employment. Much work remains to be done, however. The current national unemployment rate for people with disabilities exceeds two-thirds. America's 55 million people with disabilities are a tremendous untapped resource.

Visit the Northwest ADA and IT Center for more info.

Pics on the move

Awhile back, Blogger began supporting Mobile Blogging which allowed a user to send pictures and text from their cell phone, right to their blog.

Very cool.

I have T-Mobile, who charged .25 cents a pop to send a photo and you probably needed to pay some kind of monthly fee for internet service to send it.

Now, T-Mobile has wised up, and for 5 bucks a month, you can send 400 messages... of any kind. Text, photos...or video. I dont have a video phone, but, it seems like with cell phone technology exploding in quality and quanity, it may be everywhere for cheap pretty soon.

I'm pretty excited about all of this.

What does this mean for this blog youre reading now?

...Thats right kids.

Pictures from my cell phone as I'm out and about.

I know, I know... youre welcome.

Arrrrrrrgggg!

Monday is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. I'm verrrry excited. Arrrg.
Visit www.talklikeapirate.com for more details.

Hit the Brass

On Saturday, September 10th, the Horse Brass will have beers from 6 breweries, and *all*, that is 100% of the proceeds will be given to the Katrina Relief Fund.

The beers are from kegs generously donated from the following breweries: Alameda, Deschutes, Caldera, Hair of the Dog, Rogue, Laurelwood and New Old Lompoc.

The Horse Brass is on 45th and Southeast Belmont.

Mental health study 'largest yet'

The largest ever study into the mental health of Northern Ireland is to be carried out by University of Ulster researchers. The survey is part of a global initiative launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Twenty-seven countries around the world are taking part.

NBA Players Hurricane Relief Game

Players scheduled to appear include NBA All-Stars LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Stephon Marbury, Jermaine O'Neal...and others. Each player will participate in the game, as well donate funds/supplies to aid hurricane victims.
The game airs Sunday at 8PM PST on TNT.

"Whats that you got there?"

Apple's Steve Jobs calls the new iPod nano "an entirely new ground-up design, that also has 1000 songs in your pocket." The white device features a color display and can support photos, uses a grey click wheel to navigate, and is 80 percent smaller in volume than the original iPod -- thinner than a number two pencil, said Jobs. The iPod nano weighs 1.5 ounces or 42 grams.

It features a 14-hour rechargeable battery. The iPod nano also features a new graphical clock, games, stopwatch and lap timer, and a screen lock that uses the click wheel like a combination lock.

Compared to the iPod mini, the iPod nano is half the thickness and 62 percent smaller by volume.

"White is our signature color for the iPod ... but we decided to so a second color, and we tried it because it looked so cool," said Jobs, "so we're doing a black model as well." Read more...

Piecing together the story of the weapons that weren't

A remarkable article from Charles J. Hanley, AP Special Correspondent, illustrates a clear timeline of the road to the Iraq War, and what UN inspector Hans Blix called Washington's "virtual reality".

Photo: AP Research

Open letter from Michael Moore to Bush

Friday, September 2nd, 2005

Dear Mr. Bush:

Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag.

Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with? Read on...

Video iPod at last?

Apple Computer plans a major announcement next week in San Francisco, sparking speculation that the company that revolutionized digital music will unveil a video-playing iPod or an iTunes mobile phone.

Irish project aims to bring art to space, and space to Earth

AFP - Space Synapse, an Irish project at the cutting edge of both art and scientific research, wants to install an interactive work of art on board the International Space Station within the next two years.

Photo: (AFP/NSAS-HO/File)

"My bad, officer..."

Bandages on his left hand from a mountain biking accident, President Bush said he's doing well — and so apparently is the Scottish police officer with whom he collided last month.

Sorry. No cancelling allowed.

America Online agreed to pay $1.25 million to the state of New York and reform its customer service procedures, the state attorney general announced last week.

The agreement stems from consumers' complaints that AOL customer service representatives would either ignore requests, or make it unduly difficult, to cancel their service, according to a statement from Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer said that an incentive system AOL had developed for its customer service representatives contributed to most of the actions that drew complaints.

Worth printing out and sticking to the fridge....

For those without the NBA League Pass Cable Package, here's a chronological rundown of the big Suns games on national TV for the 05-06 season.

After winning a league-best 62 games last season, the national spotlight will be on the Phoenix Suns as they tip off the club’s 38th NBA season with its 2005-06 season opener against Dallas at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at America West Arena. The opener, which will be televised on TNT, is one of 31 Suns games that will be showcased on national television.

The Suns will be telecast nationally nine times on TNT, 10 on ESPN, four on ABC and eight on NBA TV (part of League Pass cable package). When the NBA schedule was released one year ago, Phoenix had a total of 15 national television dates and seven were on NBA TV. In addition, ESPN Radio will air five games.

All times are Pacific.
10/27/2005 6:00pm Golden State at Phoenix (TNT) Preseason
11/1/2005 7:30 pm Dallas at Phoenix (TNT) Home opener for Phoenix and Nash facing his old friends.
11/3/2005 7:30 pm Phoenix at L.A. Lakers (TNT) Home opener for the Lakers and coach Phil Jackson's return.
11/10/2005 7:30 pm Detroit at Phoenix (TNT) NBA Finals preview?
11/19/2005 5:30 pm Phx at Spurs (NBATV) (League pass req.) First rematch against the team that ended the Suns season
11/23/2005 4:30 pm Phoenix at Houston (ESPN) McGrady and Yao are always fun to watch.
11/25/2005 7:30 pm New Jersey at Phoenix (ESPN) Vince Carter and former Suns Cliff Robinson and Jason Kidd return.
12/9/2005 7:00 pm New York at Phoenix (ESPN) Quinten Richardson, Penny and Stephon return.
12/14/2005 5:00 pm Phoenix at Dallas (ESPN)
1/6/2006 7:30 pm Miami at Phoenix (ESPN) NBA Finals preview?
1/7/2006 6:00 pm Spurs at Phx (NBATV) (League pass req.)
1/20/2006 7:30 pm L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (ESPN) Kobe comes to town.
1/26/2006 5:00 pm Phoenix at Miami (TNT) NBA Finals preview?
1/29/2006 10:00 am Phoenix at Cleveland (ABC) LeBron, LeBron, LeBron.
2/16/2006 7:00 pm Houston at Phoenix (TNT)
3/5/2006 12:30 pm Phoenix at Dallas (ABC)
3/9/2006 7:30 pm San Antonio at Phoenix (TNT) Another matchup against the world champs.
3/21/2006 7:30 pm Phoenix at Utah (TNT)
3/30/2006 5:00 pm Phoenix at Indiana (TNT)
4/2/2006 10:00 am Phoenix at Detroit (ABC)
4/7/2006 7:30 pm L.A. Lakers at Phoenix (ESPN)
4/13/2006 7:30 pm Dallas at Phoenix (TNT)
4/16/2006 12:30 pm Phoenix at L.A. Lakers (ABC)

Other games...
2/22/2005 6:00 pm Boston at Phoenix (ESPN)
3/3/2005 7:00 pm Orlando at Phoenix (ESPN)
4/14/2005 7:30 pm Phoenix at Golden State (ESPN)

Die Jar Jar... Die.

I got to live the fantasy of many Star Wars fans.

I slayed Jar Jar.

I couldn't help Han, though.

Fun at the toy store

This toy store clerk was such a good sport and we had lots of fun. He grabbed the Jar Jar head from behind the counter and the Emperor from a "do not touch" type of display, all while saying.. "oooh.. this would be good for the picture..."

Just another day at the office.

THATS a loooong way down

In this artist rendering provided by Destination Grand Canyon, a glass skywalk is shown extending from the Grand Canyon. With land along the canyon, the Hualapai Tribe is planning to build a glass-bottomed walkway that will jut out 70 feet from the canyon's edge and provide a view to the canyon floor with the Colorado River....

4,000 feet below.

The skywalk is expected to open in January.

(AP Photo/Destination Grand Canyon)

Luck be a lady....

I won $6.00, thank you very much.... Everyone should see Vegas at least once. This weekend marked my first trip, and it was amazing. This is actually a shot I took, a rarity on this site, I know. But not a bad shot after a night out, eh? If you squint, you can see a huge iPod billboard. Thats the thing to do in Vegas, you know... Listen to your iPod.

Enjoy more of my pics here.

Diploma just got shinier...

For the fourth year in a row, Portland State University’s curriculum is among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The magazine’s “America’s Best Colleges 2006,” on newsstands this Monday, features Portland State under the section “Choosing a School: Programs to Look For” in five categories: Internships/Co-Ops, Senior Capstone, First-Year Experiences, Learning Communities and Service Learning.

This is the fourth year that U.S. News’ Best Colleges issue has listed schools with “outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success.”

Dear Michael...

*** Update *** Finley ended up signing with the san Antonio Spurs... Ugh..*** The Suns are one of a dozen teams fighting for the attention of free agent all star swingman Michael Finley. Finley was recently waived by Dallas and NBA rules prevent him from resigning with them next year. My Phoenix Suns, who originally drafted Finley, fresh off of losing two starters from last years team, have taken a step I've never seen.

Theyve gotten the fans involved.

Thats right, you can email Michael and tell him how much you want him to come to Phoenix. The Suns have promised each email will be delivered to Finley's agent.

So, heres what I wrote.

Michael-
The fans of Phoenix know how talented you are, and how saught after you are by several other teams. But we know, more than anyone else besides Dallas, how special you are as a person. We had the first hand opportunity to watch you grow and become the amazing all around athlete, teammate, professional and generous community member that you are. These teammates, inches away from a title, have a critical role to fill, want and need Michael Finley to fill it. This organization and this community will love and appreciate you wherever you go. But know that you are sorely missed by all and welcome with open arms.

You can send Finley your own email and help bring him back to Phoenix here.

Its official!!

Mental Health Parity Now the Law

Mental health parity is now the law in Oregon. Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski signed Senate Bill 1 into law Monday. It requires insurance companies to offer as much coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical ailments.

Governor Ted Kulongoski signed the bill surrounded by state lawmakers and advocates for the mentally ill who have been pushing this idea for more than ten years.

"It doesn't get any bigger than this."
--President of the Oregon Senate, Peter Courtney (D)

Peter Courtney: "For me personally, the most veteran member of the legislature, this will probably be my greatest piece of legislation that I was involved with. It doesn't get any bigger than this."

Colin Fogarty, OPB News

The new guys...

Last updated 9/6...

Kurt Thomas
Amare Stoudemire wanted Thomas and the Suns sent Quinten Richardson to New York to get him. Last year, the 6-9 forward ranked #6 in the NBA in rebounds per game (10.4) and #4 in defensive rebounds per game (8.3). This gives Phoenix three (Marion and Stoudemire) of the top twenty rebounders in the NBA last year.

Raja Bell
The Suns got Bell, a former Dallas teammate of Steve Nash, to backup Joe Johnson. Suprise! Now Bell will likely start. Lucky break for Phoenix. Spurs star Manu Ginobli reportedly was unhappy that Bell went to Phoenix because he hates to play against him. This was clearly the Suns strategy as Ginobli torched Phoenix in the Conference Finals.

Brian Grant
Injuries marred his performance last year, if he is as healthy as his agent says he is now, this could be a steal for Phoenix.

Boris Diaw
Phoenix will get Diaw as part of the sign and trade that sent Johnson to Atlanta. Phoenix had tried to acquire Diaw, 23, in the past, and sees the 6-foot-8 French guard as the potential backup point to Nash. He defends and runs well but lacks a long-distance touch.

Dijon Thompson
Drafted by New York this summer, Phoenix picked him up as part of the Richardson trade. In his senior year at UCLA, he led his team in scoring (18.4 ppg, fourth in the Pac-10) and rebounding (7.9 rpg, third).

James Jones
The 6-8, 220-pound guard/forward led the Pacers in three-point accuracy last season and was 25th in the NBA overall (.398). He started a total of 24 games this season and as a starter, he averaged 7.1 ppg and 3.7 rpg.

Pat Burke
The NBA’s first Irish-born player has played seven of his eight professional seasons in Europe. Last season, he played for Real Madrid, where his team won the 2004-05 ACB Spanish League Championship. The 6-11 250 pound Burke averaged 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds on .511 shooting from the field in a combined 41 regular season and 19 playoff games. With the Orlando Magic in 2002-03, he averaged 4.3 ppg and 2.4 rpg in 62 games.

Lucas Tischer
Tischer, a muscular 6 feet 9 and 230 pounds, went undrafted but joined Phoenix's summer team, which included Tischer's former junior national teammate, Leandro Barbosa. He could be a candidate for the NBA Development League, where teams can now give a player court time while keeping his rights.

Brother and sister reach the finish line

Under a colorful sunset, ASU battles Stanford at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
Rob Schumacher/The Arizona Republic

Skinny dip... downtown?

A naked man swimming in the Willamette River towards Ross Island Wednesday morning prompted a 9-1-1 call from an apparently alarmed onlooker, but the swimmer was allowed to continue.

The Willamette River runs through downtown Portland.

“It’s not a crime to be naked [in public],” said Sgt. Brian Schmautz with the Portland Police Bureau.
According to Oregon law, it’s not illegal to be naked anywhere in public unless the naked person has the intent to be sexually aroused.

The 9-1-1 call came in about 10:30 a.m. Police, fire and county officials were notified, Schmautz said.
The man was not expected to face any charges.

ANTONIA GIEDWOYN, kgw.com Staff

Dems: Bush VA Budget Would Hurt Veterans

President Bush's proposed budget for the Veterans Affairs would prevent about 3,000 Portland vets from getting healthcare, according a minority report from the House Committee on Government Reform. Democratic Congressman Earl Blumenauer says he requested the study after many local veterans contacted him to complain.

Program Finds Success with Job Help for Mentally Ill

State health officials announced promising results today from a pilot program meant to find work for people with serious mental health problems.

Phoenix Suns Schedule Announced

The Suns home opener and season opener (vs. Dallas) and first road game (vs. Lakers) are both on TNT! (Nov 1st and 3rd). Seeing Nash play against his best friends in Dallas is always a treat... Who knows, maybe former Phoenix Sun and current Dallas Maverick Michael Finley may again be a Sun when these two meet...and The Laker game marks the first game back as head coach for Phil Jackson.

November 19th on NBATV, Phoenix will visit San Antonio for the first time since losing to them in the Western Conference Finals.

Vince Carter and former Suns Cliff Robinson and Jason Kidd come to Phoenix November 25th on ESPN.

Assuming Joe Johnson ends up in Atlanta, the Suns will face them for the first time since the trade in Phoenix on December 4th.

Quinten Richardson, Penny and Stephon come to Phoenix Dec. 9th in the first matchup since the trade.

Jake Voskul makes his return to Phoenix on February 25th. He should get a heroes welcome.

The Suns dont come to Portland until March 12th and then again for the last game of the year, April 19th.
The Suns first visit to Seattle isnt until March 14th.

867-5309...

Most students (52%) in grades K-12 say they know more screen names than home telephone numbers, thanks to the popularity of instant messaging.

Source: NetDay/BellSouth Foundation

Saturday Part 2

Sonja has dubbed Sundays, "Saturday, Part 2" in leiu of calling it Sunday, which typically is depressingly known as the day before Monday.
Way to go, Sonja.

Put your textbooks away and buckle up

A high school in Vail, Arizona will become the state's first all-wireless, all-laptop public school this fall. The 350 students at the school will not have traditional textbooks. Instead, they will use electronic and online articles as part of more traditional teacher lesson plans.

Call me...

Internet telephone service tiptoed a few more steps into the wireless realm recently as Skype and Boingo unveiled a service to enable Voice-over-Internet calls over Wi-Fi hot spots, while Samsung and LG announced plans to develop mobile phones that combine cellular and Wi-Fi technologies.

Competition thankfully slashing costs of broadband

Telephone and cable TV companies are slashing broadband prices and boosting connection speeds as the two monopoly-prone industries prepare to lock horns on multiple fronts.

THATS magic...

The new Harry Potter book sold an astonishing 6.9 million copies in its first 24 hours, smashing the record held by the previous Potter release. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" averaged better than 250,000 sales per hour, more than the vast majority of books sell in a lifetime.

iPod Video?

Apple Computer has been talking to several major recording companies, looking to license the sale of music videos through the popular iTunes music site, The Wall Street Journal reported recently.

Negotiations are an indication that Apple is moving to release a device that plays video files, possibly by September, the Journal says. Analysts see the development as likely because of Apple's strength in video software, including the Quicktime movie format and video-editing software, such as Final Cut Pro and iMovie.

An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Support the troops

A majority of U.S. soldiers in Iraq say morale is low, according to a recent Army report that finds psychological stress is weighing particularly heavily on National Guard and Reserve troops.

AP Poll: Americans say WWIII likely

From the "Give Peace A Chance" file...

Americans are far more likely than the Japanese to expect another world war in their lifetime, according to AP-Kyodo polling 60 years after World War II ended. Six in 10 Americans said they think such a war is likely, while only one-third of the Japanese said so.

Most people in both countries believe the first use of a nuclear weapon is never justified.

Fumble!

A federal judge has ordered former football star O.J. Simpson to pay $25,000 in damages for pirating satellite television signals from DirecTV.

Download this...

In another milestone for Internet video, nearly 433,000 people simultaneously watched NASA's webcast of last week's space shuttle launch, according to the AP.

That's more than twice the 175,000 streams that America Online Inc. had at its peak July 2 for the Live 8 concerts, an event widely cited as a coming-of-age moment for online video. It also nearly quadrupled a record for NASA set three weeks ago during Deep Impact's encounter with the comet Tempel 1.

Photo: AFP/NASA

Moby Has Newfound Respect for Eminem

Moby says he has newfound respect for Eminem — who once mocked him in a song — because the rapper criticized President Bush and the war in Iraq on his last album.

"I found myself respecting him for doing that," Moby told reporters during a promotional stop in Hong Kong for his latest album "Hotel."

Tip of the iceberg

Thirty percent of U.S. troops surveyed have developed stress-related mental health problems three to four months after coming home from the Iraq war, the Army's surgeon general said last week.

Scientists Claim Discovery of 10th Planet

This artist's concept, released by NASA, shows the planet catalogued as 2003UB313 at the lonely outer fringes of our solar system. Our Sun can be seen in the distance. The new planet, which is yet to be formally named, is at least as large as Pluto and is about 9 billion miles, or three times Pluto's distance from the sun. It is very cold and dark. The planet was discovered by the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, Calif. (AP Photo/NASA, Caltech)

Thats amazing...

All 309 passengers and crew survived after an Air France Airbus burst into flames when it overshot the runway and crashed into a gully at Toronto's Pearson International Airport in a lightning storm earlier this week.

Listen up...

Yesterday, Yahoo Inc. began testing a new search engine feature that will pore through millions of songs offered by popular Internet music services like iTunes, Rhapsody and Napster.

The free service, available at http://audio.search.yahoo.com, boasts an index of more than 50 million audio files, including newscasts, speeches and interviews posted online, as well as the Internet's deepening pool of "podcasts" - recordings made to be played on a computer or a digital device such as the iPod.

Pretty cool...

Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Simon will perform together for one night only to raise money for research into autism. The concert will be held Sept. 24 at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, hosted by Tom Brokaw of NBC News.

Check out http://autismspeaks.org.

No kidding....

AP - Americans' approval of President Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest level yet, according to an AP-Ipsos poll that also found fewer than half now think he's honest.

Change Afoot for Driver's Licenses

The Oregon House voted Wednesday to require the Department of Motor Vehicles to collect biometric data from drivers. That's identifying physical information that's unique to each individual, such as a retina scan.

Yahoo Opens Hillsboro Call Center

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski welcomed the internet company, Yahoo, to its new customer calling center in Oregon Tuesday. The California-based business has already hired about 50 staff locally and plans to add up to 180 within the next year.

House Committee Passes Mental Health Insurance Bill

"It doesn't get any bigger than this."
--President of the Oregon Senate, Peter Courtney (D)

An exciting report from OPB:
In a surprise move, a committee in the Oregon House has approved a bill to require health insurance companies to provide the same level of coverage for mental illnesses as they do for physical ailments.
Senate Bill 1 is now headed for a vote on the floor of the Republican House.
It may go down as one of the most significant measures approved by state lawmakers this session.

This year, advocates for the mentally ill have been blanketing the state capitol, lobbying to require insurance companies to cover mental illnesses the same as they would cover a physical treatments.

Advocates for the mentally ill faced a powerful array of insurance companies and business lobbyists arguing that as a rule state mandates for health coverage drive up the cost of health care.

Elise Brown, with a trade group that lobbies for the largest insurance companies in the state, made that case before the House committee, adding that her own sister has a mental illness.

But one study of the mental health coverage for state employees showed that parity drove up costs by just one half of one per cent.

Business groups say this state mandate would likely mean more than that, as much as two and a half per cent, according to Lisa Trussel with Associated Oregon Industries.

She says even a small increase in costs could push some workers out of the insurance market.

But activists in favor of parity said lost work days due to depression and drug and alcohol addiction are far more expensive.

What's more, the bill could save the state in the long run with less jail time for mentally ill people.

In the end, the House Committee on State and Federal Affairs sided with mental health advocates by passing the parity bill, something that surprised even the sponsor Senate Bill 1, Democratic Senate President Peter Courtney.

He was convinced the measure would die just as it had in previous sessions.

Peter Courtney: "For me personally, the most veteran member of the legislature, this will probably be my greatest piece of legislation that I was involved with. It doesn't get any bigger than this."

Still, insurance parity is a key part of larger discussions over mental health in the state, including the future of the crumbling Oregon State Hospital.

State lawmakers plan to spend $350,000 for a study on how to replace the 122 year institution.

Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski said this bill will play a large role in that future.

Ted Kulongoski: "Because if we can get more people that have access to mental health services in the beginning, then I have fewer of them showing up in the corrections system and I have fewer of them showing up in acute situations where in fact that it ends up costing us much more money."

Apart from the financial considerations, Kulongoski said mental health parity is simply the right thing to do.

A vote by the full House is expected in the next several days.

Colin Fogarty - OPB

Groups lay out plan to transform U.S. mental health

A hopeful report from Reuters:
The United States can start to transform its fragmented mental health care system requiring insurers to treat mental illnesses like any other disease, a group of 16 organizations proposed on Wednesday.

The coalition of groups laid out a 28-point "road map" for Congress and the administration

"We proposed quite a few changes which we believe can be done in the short term," Charles Konigsberg, director of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform, said in a telephone interview.

For one, Congress could enact the mental health parity legislation that has been pending. Medicaid could use its money more wisely by paying for cost-effective home care instead of institutionalized care, he added.

Families should be allowed to buy into Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance plan for the poor, to get access to treatment for their children.

"Medicare unfortunately discriminates against people with mental illness by requiring higher co-payments for mental health outpatient care. That could be fixed," Konigsberg added.

The groups, including several national mental health advocacy organizations, said they were acting on President Bush's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health Report, released in 2003.

It found that the system designed to provide services to people who need mental health care is "fragmented and in disarray, lead(ing) to unnecessary and costly disability, homelessness, school failure and incarceration."

It called for a "fundamental transformation of the Nation's approach to mental health care."

"Yet, since the release of the commission's report, 63,000 Americans have died by suicide; more than 200,000 Americans with mental illnesses have been incarcerated; more than 25,000 families have given up custody of their children in order to get mental health services," said Michael Faenza, president of the National Mental Health Association.

The groups estimate there are 20 million U.S. adults and 6 million children and teenagers in the U.S. with serious mental illness.

These include people with schizophrenia, depression, bipolar disease and less-obvious disorders as well.

"War veterans and 9/11 first-responders with traumatic stress; children suffering with disorders that, untreated, can lead to school failure; people with severe depression that can lead to suicide; homeless adults suffering hallucinations and hunger; people suffering in silence due to stigma or lack of accessible treatment-all deserve the hope, dignity and promise of productive lives," Konigsberg said.

Among the 28 proposals, which can be found on the Internet at www.mhreform.org :

-- Provide early identification and effective treatment for returning veterans at risk of post-traumatic stress disorders and their families

-- Provide early detection and intervention services to mothers and children who receive health care at federally funded maternal and child health clinics

-- Fund programs to divert people with mental illnesses who have committed nonviolent crimes into treatment instead of jail or prison.

Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, a Democrat, said he hoped to get parity legislation passed this year.

"More and more employers understand that the cost of not providing mental health treatment is hurting their bottom line, because of lost work and lost productivity," Kennedy added in a statement.

Welcome back Michael!

Could these two end up teammates?

It's possible.

Michael Finley (front), owed $52 million by Dallas over the next three years, is often linked to the Suns because he is Steve Nash's close friend and played his rookie season and part of the next in Phoenix. Finley and Amare Stoudemire (rear) would be quite the one two punch.

Photo credit: Michael Chow/The Arizona Republic

Cloudy Windows

To me, part of being a Mac fan is loving what Mac is about, and recognizing some of the unfortunate pieces that make up Windows itself and what Windows is about. Many people never know those unfortunate pieces unless they are Mac fans. A possible reason for this could be a Windows user might think that what happens on a Windows machine is "just the way that it is" and "there is no other way". EVERY computer gets worms, viruses, adware, spyware and malware... right? Freezing, crashing and security holes are just a part of life...

Ahh... no. But platform wars aside her for a minute for a serious thought.

Microsoft leaving Mac headquarters in California off of their recently released new map technology (MSN's Virtual Earth) will probably not raise any eyebrows of Windows users, it may make some chuckle, and Mac fans will be irked, but know this is par for the course as far as Windows goes.

What hopefully will get everyone's attention regardless of platform allegiance is how disturbing it is that Microsoft's map still has New York's Twin Towers on it. Rolling out brand new technology with an icon reminding people of a day that changed everything versus having the map portray all of the positive, dynamic changes New York has undergone, all of the resilience of the last three and a half years-- is more than a bad choice or an oversight by Microsoft.

Pull oh-vah!

Somehow, this seems like waving a flag to the police, begging to be pulled over.... Note for the Department of Homeland Security: Erik is a wonderfully responsible driver...

Hangin' with the crew

Parachutes don't always work...

My friend Briana skydived yesterday - and, in signing the waiver, under "additional information" read this:



But, everything turned out just fine.

The next big thing

Inside Odeo with Evan Williams by Richard Koman -- Now that iTunes 4.9 has cast an even brighter light on podcasting, you might be interested in learning more about Odeo, the podcasting service from Noah Glass and Evan Williams (creator of Blogger.com). Here's an inside look at Odeo, as described by Williams himself.

One Year

Well kids, time to sing "happy birthday, blog!"
Thats right, "Oh really..." is a year old.
Whats "Oh really..." you ask?
Ummm... how do I answer without sounding mean?
Its the name of my blog you goof!
So, okay... you start...
Haaaaappyyyy birrrrrthday deeeeearrrr blooooog!
I don't hear you singing.
Thats okay.
As a gift to my loyal readers, old and new....
All two of you...
In celebration of this anniversary, I'm giving away....
Free cups of water.
Don't laugh.
Its hot out there.
And people, c'mon, we don't drink enough of the stuff.
Send a self addressed stamped box (with cup) to me, and I'll hook you up.
Thanks for reading my blog.
Read on, visit often, speak your mind, and tell a friend.

I'm a Pod

I can't help myself.
I knew what podcasting was awhile ago, but when iTunes started offering it, its been blown wide open. So many people have been using iTunes, and they will now know the joy of podcasting.
For those who don't know, think of it as a VCR for your radio. You can automatically download your favorite shows (more and more are developed everyday) and listen to them whenever you want. On your computer, iPod, or any mp3 player. News, sports, comedy, on and on and on. Free and legal.
Ive been downloading ESPN radio. Its like gold, as I'm a sports junkie without cable. Which is not pretty. Not even a little bit. So now, iTunes automatically downloads new ESPN shows when I sleep and uploads them to my iPod for me. Now when I wake up, I grab my iPod on the way out the door, and listen on the bus.
Aaaah.
What people referred to as "geeky" a few months ago are now doing everyday like its been around forever.
Its okay.
Now you know what the rest of us have known all along.
Being a geek is cool.

Mo' money, mo' problems

Oregon's Board of Higher Education approved tuition hikes Friday, averaging close to 7% for students at the state's public universities.... Below is a shot taken of me that appeared in the Oregonian when they raised tuition last year.

The caption reads: Dan Blanchette (right), a graduate student at Portland State University, learns at the cashier's office that his health insurance costs are going up. Blanchette, like many Oregon university students, faces higher tuition this term. With the credit he receives for being a graduate assistant, he will pay about $600 more than last term for the same course load.

Top 10 downloads of the past 10 years

To celebrate their 10th anniversary, C|NET compiled a list representing what they consider to be the top 10 biggest trends in downloading over the 10 years they've been around.

I love Portland

July 15, 22, 29 & August 5 : Flicks on the Bricks

Friday Evenings - Movies Begin @ Dusk

Outdoor movies are the latest rage across the nation and Pioneer Courthouse Square is bringing a gigantic, inflatable movie screen to Portland 's ‘Living Room.' They are partnering with sponsors to bring quality family-friendly movies to the Square that everyone will enjoy! Movie-goers are encouraged to bring low-back lawn chairs or bean bags down to the Square and truly make it their ‘Living Room' for the evening. Food and beverages will be available for purchase and this movie series will be FREE and open to the public!

July 15 - Top Gun
July 22 - Back to the Future
July 29 - Raiders of the Lost Ark
August 5 - Ghostbusters

Willy is here! Willy is here!

Willy Wonka opens today! Playing at thetres everywhere and at OMSI IMAX in Portland! Yeeeeaaa! Have a look at the trailer here.
Enjoy.