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Article Archive for December 2008

Men and Computers
December 31, 2008 – 9:00 pm | 2 Comments
Men and Computers

“I’m fairly sure that if you took porn off the internet, there’d only be one website left and it’d be called, ‘Bring Back the Porn.’” — Dr. Perry Cox, Scrubs

So it’s time for a little honesty, even if it’s a little painful.
This may come as a shock to some of you, particularly of the female variety, but when men are …

AT&T Tries to Make 2008 Memorable
December 31, 2008 – 12:00 pm | No Comment

I have a very important piece of advice for you that could save you a great deal of money in 2009.  The advice comes as a result of my dealings with the New AT&T.
It has been three weeks since my last update — and I had hoped it would be the last update — about the company’s series of screw-ups.  …

Even If You Don’t Believe…
December 30, 2008 – 8:28 am | 7 Comments

…this is a pretty interesting story.  A mom who wouldn’t give up on her daughter in ICU sees a chilling image on a hallway surveillance camera at the hospital.  The Palmetto Scoop has, er, the scoop.

Tough to Imagine
December 30, 2008 – 8:09 am | One Comment

There’s a big part of me that thinks blunders of this magnitude should suspend one’s right to a fair trial.  I mean, really…he used his own pay stub???

In 50 Days…
December 30, 2008 – 4:28 am | One Comment
In 50 Days…

…television makes the switch from analog to digital.  I know, I know…you’ve heard all of this before.  Yet experts estimate that there will be home after home that will suddenly stop getting any television reception at all.  The Federal Communications Commission has been requiring local television stations to remind all of you to make sure you’re ready.  I, for one, …

NaNoWriMo II: The Sequel
December 30, 2008 – 3:00 am | No Comment

I’ve just learned that some local writers who belong to a writing group I’ve attended are planning a sequel (or perhaps replacement is the better choice of word) for “NaNoWriMo,” the nickname for National Novel Writing Month, which is held during every November.
The idea is that over the course of those 30 days, you produce a 50,000 word manuscript.  It …

Do ‘Super Fans’ Help Or Hurt Shows They Love?
December 30, 2008 – 2:10 am | No Comment
Do ‘Super Fans’ Help Or Hurt Shows They Love?

Back during my college days, a close friend invited me to her place for a little get-together to watch one of the hit shows on the air at the time. It was a quirky little show about a mysterious murder in an even more mysterious place.
As soon as I walked in the door, I was offered black coffee and …

Going Boom!
December 29, 2008 – 10:39 pm | 2 Comments
Going Boom!

People around Mt. Pleasant were calling all of the local stations this afternoon asking about a mysterious boom that seemed to originate over water.  A similar boom occurred a couple of weeks ago, and days later a 3.6 Magnitude earthquake hit.  Does this mean we’re due for another quake?  The Digitel quotes someone who heard the sound and suggested it …

Where I Spent My Christmas Vacation
December 29, 2008 – 5:00 am | No Comment
Where I Spent My Christmas Vacation

I hope everyone had a great Christmas last week, and that you got everything you were asking for.  I had a nice holiday, using up the last two days of 2008 vaction time on Wednesday and Friday of last week, giving myself a nice 5-day weekend.
Everyone should get a five-day weekend for Christmas.  There ought to be a law.
Over the …

Tweets of the Week – Episode 3
December 29, 2008 – 1:45 am | No Comment
Tweets of the Week – Episode 3

Here’s the third edition of a new weekly feature that I call Tweets of the Week.
A tweet, for those who don’t know is one of those little “status updates” people post on sites like Twitter or Facebook.  Maybe you’ve got some ultra-creative Twitter friends who make you chuckle with their short bursts of life.  If you do, feel free to …

He Really Wanted To See That Picture
December 28, 2008 – 11:30 am | No Comment
He Really Wanted To See That Picture

A man in Philadelphia wounded another man inside a movie theater after an argument about making too much noise during the film.
It makes perfect sense, because people who talk during a movie are so much louder than, say, a gunshot.
The movie that was playing during all of the commotion was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which stars Brad Pitt …

Sunday Seven – Episode 175
December 28, 2008 – 8:31 am | 3 Comments

A strong logo is good for any business, but a good sound — a sound effect, catch phrase or musical signature — can also help customers identify a business.
Recently, the magazine mental_floss, which is one of the greatest magazines ever made, came up with a list of the 17 Most Recognizable Trademarked Sounds. Their number one is mine as well.
You …

Saturday Six – Episode 246
December 27, 2008 – 12:34 am | 9 Comments

Christmas Day gave many of us the chance to spend time with family. For most of you, I hope this was a happy time; I’m sure for others of you, it may not have been. This week’s questions reflect on family…but I’ll try not to get too personal with the questions…just in case some of your relatives read your blog!

First …

Adjustability
December 26, 2008 – 11:00 am | No Comment
Adjustability

Visiting my parents is always a reminder of how quickly we get used to technology.
They have a decent — not a nice, but a decent — computer, but it has a dialup connection that requires AOL.  For whatever reason, either a particularly slow dialup or a particularly slow computer — or a combination of the two — it takes a …

Spreading A Little Cheer
December 25, 2008 – 2:23 am | 2 Comments
Spreading A Little Cheer

I found a simple little meme for Christmas titled, “Do You Spread Holiday Cheer?”  A few of the questions, frankly, seemed a little incomplete.  I mean, if I was suddenly nominated appointed as the official family holiday cook, then of course I’d get a Christmas dinner take-out:  I wouldn’t want my family to get sick from my attmepts at basting …

The Long Fade to Black
December 24, 2008 – 12:00 pm | No Comment
The Long Fade to Black

You may have already considered it extinct, but VHS tape is still around.  But a new development this week might be the death knell for the format.
The last major supplier of VHS tape stock is stopping shipments and plans to throw away the last of his inventory. I still have VHS tapes, mostly in boxes.  There are some I’m sure …

Surfer Speak
December 24, 2008 – 10:43 am | 2 Comments

Just in case you need a quick break from the stresses of last-minute Christmas preparations, just watch this clip and remind yourself of where the real-life inspirations for characters like Bill and Ted, and perhaps even Beavis and Butthead, come from:
Wow.
Or should I say, “Wuh-pack…waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

Just In Time for Christmas
December 24, 2008 – 3:35 am | No Comment
Just In Time for Christmas

Here’s an extra little meme just in time for Christmas. I hope you enjoy it and have a Merry Christmas spent with family and good friends.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags are great for people like me.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. I love real trees and I love the pine smell…but I hate …