/dev/null/kevin

For those who don't like big box stores in their neighborhood, Target makes it easy to get rid of them, assuming you have access to a B-52 and some payload.

Tags: target | bomb | google maps

Our Honda Accord has a safety (?) feature (?) that automatically locks the doors after a period of time.

I hate this feature.

Here's how it works.

1. I use the keychain fob to unlock my car and open the trunk.
2. I put my stuff in the trunk.
3. The car locks the doors just as I'm about to get in.

Here's the other way it works:

1. I drive somewhere and exit my car.
2. I forget to lock the door when I leave.
3. I return, hours later, to find the car still unlocked.

 I'm guessing that this auto-lock system was made by the same Honda engineers who require that I turn both the heater and the air conditioner on just to defrost my windshield.

Tags: lock | honda | autolock

Let me be the first third hundredth to say that I don't like the Rail-Cam that they used for the NHL All-Star game.  It's a camera that moves back and forth along the top of the boards.  Unfortunately, they put it on the same side of the ice as the normal camera so all it really does it get in the way of the action.  It's very distracting to watch the game and see the camera moving back and forth.

The pictures if gets aren't even that good, mainly because it's disorienting to watch the view from a moving camera. They either need to get rid of it or just move it to the other side of the rink.  That's probably not possible since the players sit there, but they can't leave where it is.

Say it with me: The rail-cam sucks. 

Tags: hockey | railcam  | nhl

It's interesting to watch the news media change the pronunciation of words, or find alternative words, when a particular word is embarrassing to say.

• Back in 1991, when Anita Hill was accusing Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, the pronunciation of harassment was changed from her-ASS-ment to HARRIS-ment because they just couldn't stand the irony.
  

• In 1986 when the Voyager 2 spacecraft visited Uranus, reporters adopted URINE-is over your-ANUS because the cameramen wouldn't stop giggling and caused the camera to shake.  There was also this extra pause before they mentally prepared to say the word.  "Today Voyager passed the planet ... URINE-is ... and sent back these photos."  You could practically hear him sigh in relief after he said it.  All of this could have been prevented by using OOH-ran-us, which is closer to the origin of the name, Ouranos.

• In 2006 Shi'ite Muslims made lots of news.  Thus, I can only image the joy and high-fives when the press corps learned that they could use the word Shia instead of Shi'ite.  I don't think I ever heard a reporter or politician use the word Shi'ite the entire year.  My spell checker doesn't even recognize the word Shia.  "Did you mean Shiva Islam?"  No, Clippy, I didn't.
  

• While Shiitake Mushrooms haven't been big in the news, I did notice that the politically correct pronunciation is now SHEE-EE-tock-ay.  We've added an extra syllable!  But now the Austin Powers routine is ruined!
  

So, what works can we expect to see changed in the future?  Let's see...

• Asteroid
• Corkscrew
• Kumquat
• Manhole
• Pianist
• Sperm whales
• Woodpecker
• Dick Butkus
  

To the future!

Tags: media | language | words

In New Zealand they want to start regulating crossbows just like guns.  There was a road rage incident where someone was shot in the head with a crossbow.

To this I say:

"When crossbows are outlawed, then only outlaws - and Ren Faire attendees - will have crossbows."

Besides, New Zealand is the land of The Lord of the Rings and Xena.  You'd think crossbows would be mandatory or something.

Tags: crossbow | new zealand 

Since I had a previous posting on HDMI problems on the Playstation 3, I figured I should include this update about generic HDMI problems on all devices for everyone who still has a PS3.  Both of you.  According to Popular Mechanics, there are HDCP handshaking issues that can cause problems (no sound and flashing picture).  The good news is that there is a simple work around:

• Unplug the cable and plug it back in.
  

 Next, how to fix your Nintendo Wii by kicking it a few times.

Tags: ps3 | playstation3 | hdmi | hdcp
 

This guy claims to have lost nine pounds in six weeks by only adding a 30 minute Wii exercise program to his routine.  The best game for burning calories is the boxing game, according to him.

Meanwhile, the PlayStation 3 has a similar exercise program called "taking it back to the store."

No wonder the Seattle Seahawks lost to the Chicago Bears today.  Hasselbeck can't even avoid being sacked by the Burger King!  I would expect no less from a team that lost twice to my San Francisco 49ers.

Tags: football burger king seattle seahawks chicago bears

Given the current cold weather in the US (yes, we're wimps, now be quiet Canada), I find myself warming my hands under my laptop today.  I don't think many batteries are going to catch fire today.

Tags: laptop cold weather

Is it me, or do these new Zubbles [neatorama.com] look like my first ray tracing assignment from my computer graphics course in college?

Tags:  cgi zubbles ray tracing

I can't help thinking of Caddyshack.

Tags: caddyshack moles

My local newspaper, The San Jose Mercury News, recently removed Parade Magazine from the Sunday line up and replaced it with USA Weekend.  Never has the expression "you don't appreciate something until it's gone" been more true.  Parade was never the greatest newspaper insert, but USA Weekend was pure fish-wrapper.

Both are mostly full of ads, but at least Parade had a few features that I liked to read.  USA Weekend had nothing.  Apparently, I'm not the only one who feels this way.  After writing a letter to the "feedback" email, I received this reply a few days later:

Since it doesn't look like the Merc is going to change anything, I am not going to hold my breath for USA Weekend to steal away "smarted person in the world," I'm going to have to go online to read her column. That's fine, but the answers to her puzzles are always there like they are in the printed version. Oh well.

Tags: parade magazine newspaper usa weekend

I may have to bury my hatchet with Apple and get an iPhone.

Tags: iphone apple

My friend Brad sent me Dan Carlson's Starship Comparison Chart.  It's pretty cool, but also a few years old and missing a few ships.  So, I checked it there is an update and I found Jeff Russell's Starship Dimentions site.  It has multiple scale views so you can see everything from Chewbacca to the Dyson Sphere from Star Trek: TNG.  Pure geeky fun.

Tags: starship spaceship comparison size