Ramblings
July 28, 2004
Changing hosts
Things might get a little weird over the next couple days for this site, eWire, New England Flatland and iPod411: I'm changing web hosting companies and I'm hoping for a smooth transition, but you never know... 
July 27, 2004
Big-B wins the George Street Bike Challenge
Brian Chapman (that's my brother, on the right in the photo) participated in the George Street Bike Challenge this past weekend. It's an uphill race ("a 500-foot quad-buster") up an 18 percent grade. Despite being his first uphill race ever, he not only won his class, but had the fastest time overall (by over a full second). But the thing I like best was that he's simply wearing shorts and a white t-shirt, while many of the other guys are wearing full bike gear.
So congrats to Big-B. Some photos of him from the race are here, here, here, and here.
July 25, 2004
MacPlant
What do you do when you see an old Mac SE abandoned on the side of the road on trash day? If you're me, you take it home, gut it, clean it up, and combine your love of Macs with your love of gardening -- two geeky things in one!
July 21, 2004
"The Daily Show" is real news?
TV critics vote for merit, message
This is odd: At the 20th annual Television Critics Association awards show, "The Daily Show" won for outstanding news and information programming -- over rivals like PBS' "Frontline" and ABC's "Nightline." Sad to say, though, that "The Daily Show" is one of the more informative news shows on TV
Also, I was happy to hear that "Fox announced it would bring ['Arrested Development'] back this fall in the post-'Simpsons' slot at 8:30 Sundays." Putting the show in a smart timeslot (I think "Simpsons" fans will take to the show) is a good first step to keeping it around.
This is odd: At the 20th annual Television Critics Association awards show, "The Daily Show" won for outstanding news and information programming -- over rivals like PBS' "Frontline" and ABC's "Nightline." Sad to say, though, that "The Daily Show" is one of the more informative news shows on TV
Also, I was happy to hear that "Fox announced it would bring ['Arrested Development'] back this fall in the post-'Simpsons' slot at 8:30 Sundays." Putting the show in a smart timeslot (I think "Simpsons" fans will take to the show) is a good first step to keeping it around.
Labels: tv
July 19, 2004
New iPods out...
Apple has released the fourth generation iPods soon. I'm going to start my list of reasons to justify getting one now...
Labels: apple
July 18, 2004
Arrested Development
TV Critics Heap Awards on 'Arrested Development'
Fox's dysfunctional-family comedy "Arrested" was voted best new program and best comedy, two days after the freshman series scored a surprise berth in the Emmy race for best comedy. "Arrested" creator/executive producer Mitch Hurwitz told TCA attendees that it was the support of critics that saved the show from cancellation after its low-rated first season.I don't care about the Emmy awards, but if it saves Arrested Development for another season, I'm happy. There's not a lot of truly great shows on TV (one that I'd even bother writing about here) but this is most definitely one of them. If you like comedies -- a truly funny show and not a typical crappy sitcom -- do try and catch it. With Arrested Development almost gettings cancelled while crap like Yes Dear enters its fourth season, I understand why TV is, in general, so terrible.
Labels: tv
July 16, 2004
Norway: the best place to live
Norway still the world's best place to live
For the fourth year in a row, the United Nations has ranked Norway as having the highest standard of living in the world.Go Norway! One of these days we'll get over there to visit...
July 13, 2004
"My first All-Star game"
I don't plan on watching the All-Star game tonight -- why would I want to see "The Yankees (plus special American League guests) vs. the National League"? But speaking of the All-Star game, former White Sox pitcher Jack McDowell had an interesting take on being a first-time All-Star.
To play any professional sport, one must be cocky. Some hide it better than others, but you have to feel that you can play with anyone. However, no one is cocky enough to avoid feeling out of place during his first trip to an All-Star locker room.
Look around in any direction and all you see are future Hall of Famers and perennial All-Stars. Yeah, these guys belong -- I don't.
Labels: baseball
Daily reasons to dispatch Bush
Daily reasons to dispatch Bush (McSweeney's)
DAY ONE:And the hits just keep coming...
The Bush Administration's "Clear Skies Initiative," announced in 2002, allows 125 percent more sulfur dioxide, 68 percent more nitrogen oxide, and 420 percent more mercury air pollution than existing laws.
Labels: politics
July 12, 2004
You Are How You Eat
You Are How You Eat (NY Times)
Ultimately, it's not the carbohydrates -- or the next unsuspecting food group that will come under attack -- that will make us overweight. It's our relationship with food and our lifestyle. In other words, how we eat is just as important -- if not more so -- than what we eat.
Nation's Liberals Suffering From Outrage Fatigue
Nation's Liberals Suffering From Outrage Fatigue (The Onion)
According to a study released Monday by the Hammond Political Research Group, many of the nation's liberals are suffering from a vastly diminished sense of outrage."With so many right-wing shams to choose from, it's simply too daunting for the average, left-leaning citizen to maintain a sense of anger," said Rachel Neas, the study's director. "By our estimation, roughly 70 percent of liberals are experiencing some degree of lethargy resulting from a glut of civil-liberties abuses, education funding cuts, and exorbitant military expenditures."
Labels: humor
July 1, 2004
This summer's best and worst album covers
Every picture tells a story -- even on an album cover
This summer's best and worst album covers. Of course, why does an article about album cover art have such tiny pictures of them? With no link to view a larger version? It almost defeats the purpose of including them at all...
Labels: music
Time to take a break
Well, last night's game clinches it: I have to take a break from the Red Sox. I don't mind when they lose while playing well, but they've been playing some of the ugliest baseball for the past two months. How does a "good" team have the bases loaded and no out, and not score a single run? And I don't remember seeing a team commit so many errors: just in the past two games against the Yankees, they've allowed more unearned runs than they've scored themselves.
Even the eternally-optimistic Edward Cossette, author of Bambino's Curse, is now singing a pessimistic tune ("By the way, don't look up because the sky is falling"). So no more games for me until next Thursday ('cause we have tickets to that one), and instead I'll spend more time gardening to regain some sanity...
Even the eternally-optimistic Edward Cossette, author of Bambino's Curse, is now singing a pessimistic tune ("By the way, don't look up because the sky is falling"). So no more games for me until next Thursday ('cause we have tickets to that one), and instead I'll spend more time gardening to regain some sanity...
Labels: redsox
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