Halloween is for Kids?

This morning, I woke up and went to work. I took the usual path and got breakfast on the way. I started by reading email as usual, then dove into my tasks. It was a normal day. I totally forgot it was Halloween until a few employees came in dressed up. A few departments got together and had a lunch party too. It's amazing how much some people get into this non-holiday. I suppose it was just another excuse to not work (during the WORK day). When people came in during the morning, they wasted time socializing about the party. Then there was the 2-hour party. And afterwards, people spent time uploading digital photos... and then talking and emailing about those. What's really scary is the amount of man hours that went into this. Some of the people in the party had end-of-month deadlines too. Obviously, I don't work with very responsible people. To top it off, the office was a ghost town by 3:30! People had left early, treating Halloween like an early dismissal day.

In the city, Halloween doesn't seem to be a big thing. One would think that there would be flocks of trick-or-treaters with it falling on a Friday, but I didn't get any. My friends who live in the other boroughs also mentioned that they got none or a lot less than previous years.

Macbook Killers

Here are the Macbook specs with maxxed out RAM:

2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo
4 GB RAM
250 GB / 5400 RPM Hard Drive
256 MB Shared VRAM
8x DVD+-RW DL
802.11n Wireless
...$1,740

The 2 PC examples below end up about $300 less! They have a less powerful video card, but at a 1280x800 resolution, even 128 MB is overkill. The extra money could be spent on a processor upgrade or 7200 RPM hard drive.

Dell XPS
2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo
4 GB RAM
320 GB / 5400 RPM Hard Drive
8x DVD+-RW DL
128 MB Shared VRAM
802.11n Wireless
...$1,454

IBM ThinkPad SL
2.4 Ghz Core 2 Duo
4 GB RAM
320 GB / 5400 RPM Hard Drive
8x DVD+-RW DL
128 MB Shared VRAM
802.11n Wireless
9-cell battery
...$1,403

The IBM actually beats out the Dell too... and with a slightly better spec.

Scaling Up

Last week, during Friday Night Fights, Turan Hasanov was walking around ringside after his match and he walked right by us. I was thinking... this guy looks much smaller closeup. When he was fighting, he looked like a heavyweight. That night's card was made up of light-middle weight fighters or smaller, but when there are just 2 guys up on the canvas, in the spotlight, they don't look so small anymore. Contender Asia had middleweight competitors, but they also looked like heavyweights in the ring when they faced each other.

It's a similar, but opposite effect with basketball. The players look small on court, but when you see them close up, they're huge. We tend to think of people in reference to ourselves. So when we see a basketball player on court, we picture ourselves on the court.

Opening Night

The Bulls are in 1st place with an opening night win. Hopefully it's not their only time there! For the most part, things looked pretty promising. They faced Scott Skile's Milwaukee Bucks to pick up a win against a division rival. The way they played tonight reminded me of the Bulls from the previous 3 years. Deng lead the way with his old average of 21. Ben Gordon gave us some fire off the bench with 18. Hinrich was vintage with 50% shooting, 2 of 4 3's and 15 points. Thomas played as he should and got 15 points/10 rebounds. Rose & Hinrich combined for 16 assists. Overall, they played good D on the Bucks team. They let Redd go and defended everyone else... great strategy.

Now they have to keep up the good work. The first 10 games are very important because the Bulls have always gotten off to a slow start. Last year was the first year that they couldn't bounce back. I think this team feeds on confidence. One winning streak can get them into playoff level basketball.

New World Series Rule

"The World Series always should be decided by nine innings with somebody making the final out, not the weather or natural disasters or whatever," reliever Trever Miller said. "That's what fans pay to see. That's what we work hard for all year."
- Trever Miller (RP, Tampa Bay Rays)

For the first time in MLB history, the World Series was suspended due to weather. That's pretty surprising given all the years the sport has been around. I agree with Miller and think it was the right decision. No one wants to see a called game in what could've been the last game in the Fall Classic... except maybe the Phillies who had a lead after 5 innings of play! Both teams knew that there would be no called game, but the situation wasn't handled that well. The rain was pouring during the 4th & 5th innings. The Phillies were leading 2-1 at the end of 5. They should've called the game at that point with both teams completing 5 innings a piece. It would've been even. Instead, it was stopped in the middle of the 6th, which allowed the Rays to score a run and tie the game. Was MLB waiting for a tie just to justify the game being suspended? Based on the rainfall, the game could've been stopped anytime in the 4th or even 3rd.

How does the stoppage affect both teams? Gameplay won't resume until tomorrow. That's a full day off for both bullpens. If it comes down to it, the Rays may have every pitcher available towards the 8th or 9th innings. Though the Phillies were upset about the late pause, another way to look at it is... the Rays had to play their half of the 6th in bad weather. They'll get to play the bottom of the 6th under better conditions. On the other hand, the Rays faced a distracted pitcher and the Phillies will be facing a fresh, full-powered one.

Wednesday's half game will be very interesting. Can the Phillies finish it off or will the rain be a momentum changer for the Rays?

Evolution 15 (Australia)

Australian Qualifier
December 6, 2008 @ 19:30

The qualifier will be the same format as the Malaysian event with a 4-man mini-tournament. Eli Madagan seems to be the favorite since he defeated 2 contestants from last season already... Zidov & Soren. His opponents are no slouches though. WMC champ, Warren Elson will be coming out of retirement for a spot on the show. There's also Jason Scerri, a shootboxer and a 4th mystery figher to be named.


The superfights are going to be great. The Contenders from Evolution 14 will play musical chairs as JWP will fight Sean Wright and Preacher will take on Dzhabar Askerov. Soren Monkongtong and Carnage are also on the schedule.

Tech Deals of the Week (10/26-11/1)

Flash Sales
- 4 GB PNY @ Staples for $17.99
- 4 GB SanDisk @ Circuit City for $16.99
- 8 GB Sony @ Circuit City for $27.99
- 4 GB Geek Squad @ Best Buy for $17.99
- 8 GB Geek Squad @ Best Buy for $27.99

Case Logic Portable Cases
Flash drives often get lost because they're small. Having a case can reduce the risks. Portable hard drives can also use the extra protection of a case. Here are 2 good deals for the week:
- Flash Drive Case @ Staples for $2.99
- Portable Hard Drive Case @ Circuit City for $9.99

FREE Shipping on Eee PCs @ Directron
The Eee PCs seem to be the same price everywhere... which is already low, so the FREE shipping offer on Directron is a bonus. [click here]

OCZ 64 GB SSD @ Directron for $142.99
After a $70 mail-in rebate, this is the lowest priced 64 GB SSD I've seen. The 64 GB model is of significance because it's large enough to equal out with a hard drive one would replace on an older notebook. [click here]

Radio Shack Deals
All deals from last week are still valid this week.

Friday Night Fights

I kicked off another weekend at Friday Night Fights. This time it was downtown at the Broad Street Ballroom and it was all Muay Thai... no amatuer boxing! The night featured an 8-man elimination tournament and 2 superfights. Check out comments I made by clicking on photos in the slideshow below.


This was much more fun than the May event I went to. The only bad thing was I couldn't take any breaks! Last time, I was doing so during the boxing matches!

Related Links: Broad Street Ballroom, Friday Night Fights

Macbook Hands-On

After actually going to the Mac Store and playing around with the new Macbook, I guess it's not a total disappointment. I was just bummed last week because I really wanted Apple to get in on the netbook game with an $800 laptop. Anyway, here's a fairer review of the new Macbook & Macbook Pro:

Good
The unibody aluminum design is a great piece of engineering. It really feels strong and light at the same time. I also like the trackpad/button combo and am surprised no other manufacturer has thought of that idea 'til now. It makes things so much more efficient to have the entire trackpad as a large button. This isn't the phony tap-to-click you see on all other laptops. The whole trackpad does a physical click. As usual, the screen looks great. The use of glass really gives it a CRT quality.

Bad
Because the trackpad is huge, the laptops are a little larger than standard 13.3" and 15.4" systems. I thought the trend was to get smaller? My standing complaint with Apple is the price. Just take the sames specs and go build a Dell or IBM and you'll see what I mean. The new keyboard is also pretty bad. They used chiclet style keys... they're not even touching each other. I don't understand this change. A keyboard should be standard because we all learn to type a certain way. It sure looks nice, but isn't very functional.

Ugly
They went with a unibody shell, but why didn't they make it unicolor? The 2-tone laptop looks terrible. This is partly due to the fact that manufacturers discovered that a black frame adds to screen contrast... late! Artists know this from the moment they're born, yet we only started seeing black frames on TVs recently. So the frame has to be black... why not just make the whole system black.

Chelsea Gallery Diner

Location: 72 7th Ave. (@ 15th St.)
Cuisine: American
Phone: (212) 691-5005
Website: www.chelseagallerydiner.com
Prices: About $15-20 per person
Credit Cards: All major

Food: 7
Service: 8
Value: 7
Environment: 7

Visits: 1

It's hard to truly review a diner. They have such a huge variety of food that one would have to eat there about once a week for an entire year to get a real idea! Well... that's why I have the "visits"counter so readers can take that into consideration. So my 7 for food applies to the pizza burger deluxe I ordered for lunch today. I felt it was just right as far as size. Some diners cheap out on the meat. It had a good amount of cheese as a pizza burger should have, but didn't have enough tomato sauce. The upside to that was that it wasn't as messy though.

Service was good in Chelsea Gallery Diner. Our water was always full and that staff seemed friendlier than the average diner. They were happy to tend to my cousin, Janet's special requests as she is a regular to this place. They also made conversation with us.

The space wasn't that large, but still felt cozy because it was clean, comfortable and had a fun atmosphere. There were seasonal decorations all over the place. Those were apparently setup by a friend of the owner who does that all the time in exchange for free meals. Well placed mirrors made the place look larger than it really was.

McCain's Racism & Why It Matters

I'm not into politics at all, but this video is important. I'm passing it along from my buddy Cung Le.


He did issue an apology, but for obvious political reasons.

Here it is... my first and probably last post related to politics.

League Championships

I usually don't watch the MLB playoffs when the Yankees aren't in it, but I had many reasons to still watch this time around. For the NLCS, I wanted to see Torre's Dodgers win one. For the ALCS, I had to cheer on the Rays because they were playing the Red Sox.

NLCS
After a making short work of the league leading Chicago Cubs, many picked the Dodgers to win the NLCS because they felt the team was surging with such confidence that they would just take it all the way. I felt the same way. I thought Torre's style of management was going to carry them through, but in this case, the more experienced Phillies prevented an upset and wrapped up the series in 5 games. Everyone on the Dodgers can hold their head up high. They weren't even supposed to be in the playoffs, but they made it to the NLCS! That almost felt like the Bulls sweeping the Heat 2 years ago. Congratulations to Joe Torre and the miracle he did for this team. He really proved that his system works. He got a bad team to the playoffs to keep his streak alive. The Yankees had a talented team that slumped all year long. Remember, last year, the Yankees were terrible also. But under Torre, they made a heroic 2nd half finish to get into the post-season.

ALCS
The Rays have been great all year, outplaying all of the top teams. They were an easy pick to take the AL championship. They gave up the first game, but just when on an offensive onslaught for the next 3 games. The Red Sox looked like they were done, but 2004 always comes into mind when Boston is down. They made a comeback and forced a game 7. Last night, the final game lived up to all the hype too. It was great... a nail biter that came down to the final inning. Manager Joe Madden did a great job with his switches, using 4 pitchers in the 8th to get out of a jam. That's one-on-one baseball!

Rays vs. Phils should make a great World Series. I'm neutral on this one, but will still watch. It's kind of more relaxing that way. I won't get stressed!

Tech Deals of the Week (10/19-10/25)

Flash Sales
- 4 GB SanDisk @ Radio Shack for $14.99
- 4 GB Kingston @ Circuit City for $15.99
- 8 GB SanDisk @ Circuit City for $24.99
- 4 GB PNY @ Best Buy for $17.99
- 8 GB PNY @ Best Buy for $27.99
- 8 GB Transcend @ CompUSA.com for $24.98 [click here]
- 4 GB PNY @ Staples for $17.99
- 16 GB SanDisk @ Office Depot for $59.99

Digital Concepts 51-in-1 Card Reader @ Radio Shack for $12.99
This is a very compact card reader that should be able to accept all formats. I never knew there were even 51 types! I can't get close to counting that many even if I include the "bs" ones... the various memory stick formats, SD types, etc.

Logitech Notebook Mouse @ Radio Shack for $14.99
This deal has an $8 mail-in rebate, so the in-store price is $24.99. This is a good basic wireless mouse and it comes in 3 colors. The black/gray one will look nice on any system. There's a red one that'll go with those popular Product (RED) products. And the the pink one could go with lighter colored laptops.

Iomega 500 GB Ext. HDD @ Radio Shack for $89.99
Many hard drives are starting to hit my sale requirements, but I wanted to highlight this one because it's an Iomega. They make the best drives and were usually never on sale.

Microsoft Sidewinder @ Newegg.com for $50.46
That's almost $30 off the regular price for one of the best gaming mice out there. The shape is a little odd when you first look at it, but I tried it out in the store and it's actually very comfortable. It's got 9 buttons and was really made for gaming, but I find these type of mice great for power users as well. [click here]

Stargate Atlantis 512 (Outsiders)

It was sort of a solo episode this Friday... no continuation, no cliffhanger and the full team was featured. There were some carryovers from previous episodes though... the Hoffan plague, Beckett's experience with Michael. This was a fun episode because it dealt with humans on another planet that were faced with a political and moral decision. There was a group of outsiders who escaped a Wraith attack and were living with the locals for a long period of time under sanctuary. The outsiders were also Hoffan plague survivors, which made them poisonous for the Wraith to consume. So naturally, the Wraith wanted them destroyed so that they would not pass on that characteristic. The big decision was if the locals would standby their new friends or turn them in. The dialog included strong arguments from both sides. The episode was also a great character building one for Dr. Beckett.

Evolution 14 Analysis (part 2)

I was happy to find Sean vs. Preacher today in the K-1 Fans Forum. So I can complete my analysis now!

Sean vs. Preacher
I wanted to see this matchup in the first season of The Contender: Asia because both fighters looked evenly matched... same size, build, strength, etc. Both guys were dismissed easily by Yodsaenklai though. Rounds 1-3 were pretty even with some nice exchanges. Bruce has been on a losing streak since JWP KOed him, but he's fought good fights, including this one. He threw some nice combos and got Sean good with a lot of them. Sean has been pretty active this year, coming off a win in Malaysia. He's got it all when it comes to the basic moves. He's strong and fast. His defense isn't as good as the veterans, but he can take hits. Preacher looked tired starting in the 4th round. Sean clearly had the upper hand and scored a couple of throws. He also gave him a cut. I also gave the 5th round to Sean, but Bruce still gave him a good fight. Great show by both guys!

Apple Sucks

OK... maybe the title's a little harsh, but I'm just getting over my disappointment with today's notebook event. The rumors were much more exciting than what actually got released. In my previous post about this, I listed 3 unknowns. Here are the answers:

1) So the Air got updated, but not by much. It's still as useless as the original, but with a real graphics card and higher SSD capacity. The Macbook & Macbook Pro got partial updates. The Pro updated their 15" model with the expected black/silver scheme. The 17"stayed the same. The Macbook is now basically a smaller Macbook Pro. They kept the previous entry model alive to keep prices low. Both models have an NVidia chipset. Also, if you look at the bottom, it looks like the battery is finally removable.

2) The Macbook & Macbook Pros have the same design now. They should really just call them the same thing.

3) There was no new category/netbook. The $800 rumor referred to the "new" $899 24"lCD... twice the amount of better models from Dell or Samsung! I had a feeling the $800 laptop wouldn't be true. Apple won't ever make an affordable netbook because they'd make too many sales. They wouldn't be Apple if they didn't add a premium price on top of their products.

Evolution 14 Analysis

A month later, this finally televised on Fox in Australia. It's very odd that they didn't cover it live. I didn't see Sean Wright vs. Preacher posted Online, but here are 3 of the matches:

Zidov vs. Maddog
As I suspected before, Zidov wasn't conditioned well enough to fight. He makes weight, but he's not as toned as the other fighters. He does have the moves and managed to back off Maddog a few times, but to be more successful, he's going to need to practice power shots. He also needs to start kicking palm trees like Van Damme in Kickboxer! Zidov threw a low roundhouse that was blocked by Maddog and he fell down in pain because his shin wasn't conditioned as a Muay Thai fighter's should be. The ref was counting too... Zidov knocked himself down! After a match like this, Zidov should fight some easier opponents. And Maddog vs. Zig Zach would make a good match.

Carnage vs. Wehan
This was a good match, though it looked as if Wehan was undersized. Nathan "Carnage"Corbett was obviously more powerful, but as we know, the Thais are unbelievably invincible. So I guess the size difference made things even. In the 3rd round, Wehan was knocked down with a hard elbow and it looked like he was done, but somehow, he beat the count and even backed Carnage off. That was the most amazing sequence of the fight. Eventually, Carnage got another elbow in... no one can get up from 2 of those!

JWP vs. Dzhabar
The main event was one of the best matches I've ever seen. The Contender Asia semifinal rematch would dispell any doubts about JWP win earlier in the year. In their previous meeting, if you watched the match closely, it was a clear win for JWP. But I imagine they edited the tape to look more close just for TV drama... the angles they picked and the moves they slo-moed. If you're a video editor, you'll know what I mean. There was none of that here because it wasn't shot for a TV episode. Both fighters were very aggressive from the beginning. I thought Parr would be rusty, but he was as sharp as ever and lightning quick. Dzhabar came out with a lot of energy, but his moves were too wild for his experienced opponent. He threw a lot of crazy hooks and overheads, while JWP stuck to the point a-to-point b approach. Naturally, for every move Dzhabar missed with, JWP hit with combo. I only watched this video twice so far, but had JWP winning all 5 rounds. Dzhabar was a little more aggressive in round 2, so I could see someone giving him that one. By round 4, he was done... out of gas. His wild swings rarely connected, while JWP was going Van Damme on him. Even though Dzhabar lost, he lost against one of the best. He did go the distance also, so there's nothing to be disappointed about. Like JWP, he's also gifted with the ability to take hard hits without getting KOed.

So with the exception of the Wright/Preacher match, the Aussies did a great job of protecting their home ring. Congrats to all of the fighters... this was a great show!

Tech Deals of the Week (10/12-10/18)

Flash Sales
- 4 GB Kingston @ Circuit City for $16.99
- 8 GB Sony @ Circuit City for $27.99
- 8 GB SanDisk @ Staples for $24.99
- 4 GB SanDisk @ Staples for $17.99
- 8 GB Transcend @ CompUSA.com for $24.98 [click here]

Case Logic Portable Cases
Flash drives often get lost because they're small. Having a case can reduce the risks. Portable hard drives can also use the extra protection of a case. Here are 2 good deals from Staples:
- Flash Drive Case for $2.99
- Portable Hard Drive Case for $9.99

50-Pack Nexxtech DVD+R for Circuit City for $9.99
DVD media hasn't been on sale that often anymore. This price is actually higher than last year, but low for this year.

Stargate Atlantis 511 (Lost Tribe)

Since this was a continuation of First Contact, there was a lot going on. The two storylines from the previous episode came together in this one. In McKay & Jackson's adventure, the new aliens turned out to be a rogue group of Asgard that were set out to destroy the Wraith at all costs, including activating a weapon that self-destructs stargates as it destroys hive ships in hyperspace.

The uneasy alliance of Todd's Wraith and the Atlantis team got worse as Ronon & Keller broke out and retook the Daedalus. It was probably a bad decision not to have Sheppard be in the middle of that join venture. It all gets cleared up in the end. Todd still ends up on the Atlantis side, but there just might be more tension in future episodes.

Subway Tales: Beauty & the Average Joe

Final/first stop subway stations are the best sources for Subway Tales. A lot more happens than just people getting off, on and the train leaving. I get to observe people waiting and conductors changing shifts and going through their routines. The trains come and leave on some kind of fixed schedule... roughly. Today, the conductor closed the doors and the one customer came knocked on the window and asked if he could open them up.

Customer: Can you open up the door?

Conductor: No... the next train is across the platform.

Customer: C'mon... I got out late from work.

Conductor: Not my problem. We have to run on a schedule here.

Obviously, the conductor was right. Why should we delay the whole train and every customer on it just because Joe Schmo got out of work late?

Here's the other part of the story though. This happened a few weeks ago... same time of day, same conductor, same train... different customer.

Customer: Can you open up the door?

Conductor: (sighs) You're going to cause havoc.

He opened up the doors and many customers rush in, stop the doors from closing and cause a substantial delay. The difference? The customer from a few weeks ago was a gorgeous looking lady with a perfect body and nice voice.

So much for "not my problem. We have to run on a schedule here!"

New Macbooks Coming Soon

It has been confirmed that there will be an Apple event on Tuesday, October 14. The official poster below also clears up news that the notebook line will get refreshed.

Some things are already obvious. It's very likely that the new line will follow the iMac & iPhone black & silver color schemes. Also, the touchpad will incorporate multitouch.


Here's what we don't know:

1) Which line will get updates? They're all due one.

2) How will the design of the Macbook differ from the Macbook Pro? If the Macbooks are going silver, then they will look too much like the Pros.

3) Will there be a new category? There have been some rumors for a Mac netbook. Since they've been using Intel chips for years now, this is a likely possibility. It's also official that one of the price points is $800... lower than any previous Macbook.

A Netbook with Everything?

It gets harder every day to shop for a netbook. There's always some kind of update or release of a new one. But is there actually one out there that has everything? The MSI Wind and Acer Aspire One don't have SSD options. Dell's Mini 9 doesn't have a high capacity battery. The Lenovo S10 has a heat issue and isn't configurable to the max in the Online store. Asus keeps releasing variations of its Eee PC and it's been confusing. They also just released specs of their higher end model, the S101. It's pretty much the same as the Eee PC, but in a slimmer form factor, larger SSD... but no high capacity battery!

The saying is... "you can't have your cake and eat it," but the thing about this is it's very technically possible. Why are manufacturers purposely not including everything!? It's not too much to ask for!

Jerry Maguire Clip

Ahhh... found the clip to go along with my post from last week:


This is what I see in my head whenever someone at work is asking for help, but doesn't give me all of the information to help them.

Laptop Sizes & Functions

When people ask me for computer shopping advice, they're often interested in laptops. So I always ask them what they'll use it for because there's such a wide variety of sizes. The larger ones look tempting because of the impressive specs, but sometimes when people buy them, they find that they're not bringing them around as much because of the size & weight. So here's a list of what I think certain size laptops should be used for.

7-10"
These "netbooks" are ultraportables and are great for people who are always on the go. They're not powerful enough for multimedia and gaming, but are good for basic web surfing and word processing. If you need something a bit more powerful than a PDA and don't want to get a full-sized laptop, this type is for you.

11-12"
This size is a bit of a gray area because there are systems that are similar to the netbooks at this size and also full gaming systems like the Dell XPS. I don't recommend this size at all. It's better to go up or down a notch depending on your needs.

13-15"
This range covers the standard laptop and probably the majority of sales. When you shop around for accessories, you'll notice that most products are made for the 15.4" widescreen. If you need a multi-function system to supplement your desktop, the 13-15" range would be good for you. Besides the basic everyday tasks, you can also watch movies, edit videos, burn DVDs and play most games.

16-17"
In my opinion, these aren't laptops anymore. These were made to be desktop replacements, but at a size like this, I would be totally discouraged from lugging it around. This range is only for the hardcore gamer that needs to play away from home a lot.

18-20"
Believe it or not, they actually make these. My advice is to consider a desktop if you're looking into one of these. They are too heavy to carry around and come at a premium. If you invest in a desktop, it will be a fraction of the cost and will be much more powerful. The only exception I can think of is if you're an NBA player and need a portable in proportion to your height!

G. Carano vs. K. Kobold

Last night, there was an MMA event that was supposed to feature Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice, but Shamrock sustained a cut over his left eye and Elite XC would not let him fight. So the main event turned out to be the Carano/Kobold fight. I was slightly worried about Gina because I always am when she enters the ring against an ugly opponent with nothing to lose. However, when the bell rings I'm instantly reminded of how tough she is and that she's blessed with the talent of being able to take hard hits.

They both played their games. Gina mostly stuck to her bread and butter of Muay Thai and nailed Kelly with several heavy shots, busting up her face good with a nice knee strike in the first round. Kelly tried to wrestle Gina to the ground for most of the match. She was mostly unsuccessful because Gina muscled her way into standing up. The 3rd round was a Muay Thai lesson and an example of what happens to a grappler when they face up with a legitimate striker. Gina even got close to getting a submission! The fight ended with Gina landing 3 straight round kicks. A moment longer and it would've been a knockout.

Dodging the Cubs

So... Torre's Dodgers (or LA Yankees as I like to call them) made it past the NLDS and in dominating fashion too. They swept the league leading Chicago Cubs last night. Many people already wrote them off, but I think they have a good shot at winning it all. They don't have the talent and star power, but Joe Torre brings out the best in everyone. Remember that the ring-bearing Yankees teams of the 90's lacked star power too. These Dodgers could be the next Yankees! I think they should be able to win the NLCS. If they're going to lose, it'll be in the World Series just because the American League is generally better.

Go Torre! Stick it in Steinbrenner's face!

Tech Deals of the Week (10/5-10/11)

Flash Sales
- 8 GB SanDisk @ Radio Shack for $24.99
- 8 GB SanDisk @ Best Buy for $24.99
- 4 GB SanDisk @ Best Buy for $17.99
- 4 GB PNY @ Staples for $17.99
- 16 GB SanDisk @ Office Depot for $59.99
- 4 GB Verbatim @ Office Depot for $17.99

Kensington Optical Mouse @ Circuit City for $9.99
This is a nice small, wireless notebook mouse. There's a $10 mail-in rebate involved.

Subway Tales: Hamster Box

I was standing up in the subway when I noticed a woman half concealing what looked like a broken Tupperware box. Occasionally, she was covering a crude hole on the top and sticking her fingers in. At first, I thought it was food, but it turned out that she was carrying a pet hamster inside! So she was petting it when she stuck her fingers in. The box was about 8"L x 4"W x 3"H and the hole was a 2" diameter on top, so the hamster could've made a run for it at any moment pretty easily. I was waiting for the lady sitting next to her to notice and freak out, but it never happened. Maybe it was a well-trained rodent.

Cassandra

I sat next to her today.
8)

Help Me... Help You!

"Help me... help you. Help... me... help... you."
- Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise)

One of the tough things about working in the IT department is other people thing we fix problems by using Merlin's Book of Magic. They think that if they tell us a problem without giving any details, we can whip up a solution with the push of a button. Today, I received an email from a user in the marketing department trying to point out a problem on our intranet portal. She took a heavily JPEGed and blurry screenshot of the page. The text and URL were unreadable. Our portal uses a lot of dynamic pages with long URLs, filled with variables, so there was no way for me to figure out what page that was or how to get there. This person has done this more than once or I wouldn't be writing about it. In general though, users have to realize that we're human too. We can't read minds or cast magic user spells. When in need help, they should spit out as many details as possible. The world of technology has a lot of variables built in. Details are essential of efficiency in the office.