Month: September 2004

Thank you, internal combustion engine. I needed to get my car fixed today to tackle some wheel and axle issues. Since it was a nice day, I walked from the repair shop and back.

I didn’t know that it would take me about an hour and 20 minutes to walk and that it was just over 3 miles from the shop to my house. It was extremely pleasant with the gentle breeze keeping things mostly cool and I got to walk near the creek as it drifted toward the canal. But, dang, blisters stink — especially after nearly 7 miles of walking.

While it was to nice get a new perspective on the city, I gladly turned on the A/C and put my feet up when I got my car back. The topper on my afternoon was free burgers from Hardees — the restaurant was packed to the gills as they did a promotion.

I’m reading more newspapers online these days. It’s interesting reading stories from around the country, especially some of the different writing styles. There was one story from down South that caught my eye today.

The story was about a recent search at a college that may be linked with another criminal probe. Obviously it seems like a confusing matter, but the story didn’t clear things up until the background portion toward the end. I’m not going to name the paper or the college, but this is the fourth graf:

Why the (…) investigation is being investigated and who is at the center of the investigation is unclear.

I know I’m new to this story, but with two cases centered around the college, this sentence was a roadblock in the story. I had to stop for a bit and puzzle out what the writer meant. I also reflected on the repeated use of the word “investigation.”

As I understand it now, I think the writer was trying to say it’s unclear why investigators have launched this new probe and who is being targeted.

I’m sure that my writing has been less than clear on occasion over the years, and I think this shows there’s always room to be clearer and more concise.

People who have read my blog know that I write a bit about the CBC from time to time. It’s pretty much my network of choice right now. What people may not know is that the official name of this blog is “Ryan’s incredible, edible blog” in tribute to the American Egg Council‘s “It’s the Incredible, Edible Egg” ad campaign.

Now it seems like the two things have collided, in a sense. In the past year, I look at what Google searches people use to access my site. One phrase “CBC Edible Incredible” came up several times. I scratched my head, like I’m sure many people did when they clicked through to my site.

As it turns out, the CBC has a new children’s program called Surprise! It’s Edible Incredible! which started airing last month. I saw the first episode — it’s kind of interesting. Although the Web site calls it “Iron Chef meets Fear Factor,” I think it closely resembles BBC series “Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook” in terms of presentation except with kids.

So anyway, Google search mystery solved.

Personal video recorder company TiVo has a great product, but has been facing pressure from competitors (including former partner DirecTV). This coming reality has led to a lot of critics and analysts to be down on TiVo’s future. Much is the same as NetFlix, which has been touted for its system of delivering DVDs to homes through the mail. There have been many questions raised about NetFlix’s future as technology advances.

As I read on TV Barn, Newsweek has an article detailing a possible alliance between TiVo and NetFlix. This alliance supposedly includes the delivery of movies over broadband to your friendly TiVo.

Company reps deny this as rumor for now, but I think this deal has the possibility of offering an easy-to-use package for home users to pick movies they want from the comfort of their couch. It gives both companies a unique advantage to survive and thrive in the developing marketplace.

I just got a TiVo this year. For all of its touted advantages as a digital video recorder that efficiently slices and dices your viewing, a superb recorder can only record what’s availble to watch — and I’ve got basic. If I went to an expanded cable package or switch to satellite, TiVo’s competitors stand ready with PVRs of their own (they’re just not as good as TiVo on the whole).

This proposal gives me a great reason to stay with TiVo in light of increased competition.

I was thinking about the different forms of the suffix “-icide” today. One of my favorite TV shows (and books) is Homicide.

There’s a lot of wacky variations of the word out there — regicide, fraternicide, et al. I recalled Issac Asimov penning the phrase “robocide” to describe the murder of a robot.

All this got me thinking that what if someone tried to commit a murder or death through a ‘blog? Doing a Google Search of the word ‘blogicide’ comes up with 185 hits. The phrase seems to refer to the death of a blog, which I suppose is appropriate.

I, myself, have a dead blog out there (I wiped it when I created this new site). Two Scooby points to whomever can figure out/remember what it was. I could rebuild it in Blogger, but I have no interest right now.

BTW, any form of “-icide” I didn’t mention, I’m not thinking about. That includes cyborgicide.

One of the greatest lessons my parents ever taught me is not make assumptions. I do have a nasty habit of trying to deduce something based on a limited amount of evidence and — yes — make a judgment based on an assumption. I’d like to think that I’ve gotten better at keeping an open mind (and be able to revise my judgment) after I graduated high school and moved on in life.

I don’t know where it would fit, but I think it’s worth also not making unrealistic expectations. I guess I don’t know what I was hoping to accomplish this weekend, but I have only myself to blame for the fact that reality fell short of my expectations.

I guess I’m trying to say that I didn’t make it to the bridge walk today.

This audio post reflects the sort of humor that amuses those at a bar late at night.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the post do not necessarily reflect those of myself or anyone really.

I’m eagerly anticipating the Labor Day weekend. We’ve had some really nice summer days recently, and it looks like it will continue for a while yet.

Also got the house ready for a mystery guest (not to me, but to you — my reading audience). Actually, it’s an old co-worker so we should have a good time remembering all the laffs we had and roaming the beautiful Keweenaw Peninsula.

BTW, if you’re in the area and looking for something to do. Labor Day Monday typically marks the Mackinac Bridge walk on the other side of the Upper Peninsula. To get people off their duffs, Portage Health System and the cities of Hancock and Houghton are having a bridge walk of their own — over our very own Portage Lake Lift Bridge.

Registration starts at 8 a.m. Monday at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan Tech University. They’re expecting a few hundred people, and I hope to be there.

I’m chilled seeing the siege of the Russian school earlier today. It’s horrific that these rebels (apparently from Chechnya) took over a school on the first day of classes, taking up to 1,000 children and adults hostage. Now there’s reports of around 200 dead and 400 injured as the hostages tried to flee the building during an apparent siege by Russian forces.

CBC was airing coverage from BBC News. I’m not an expert, but I don’t see how taking children hostage helps anyone — not the rebels and not the Russians.

When I was going through old papers, I came across the story on the hostage situation at a Moscow theater in 2002. BBC News story. During that incident, 129 hostages out of 700 were killed along with the 41 Chechen fighters when Russian troops used high-power knockout gas while they stormed the theater.

It’s been awhile, but the fighters in both cases claimed they would destroy the buildings if their demands weren’t met. Simply horrible.

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On a related note: It’s interesting seeing CBC’s noon newscast today. They didn’t use their own reporting staff during the majority of the broadcast (aside from the anchor). The show included siege coverage from BBC, an interview with a Canadian Press reporter, a live report from Florida by an NBC reporter about Hurricane Frances. The anchor cited a report from ABC News about Clinton’s chest pains.

Toward the end, they shifted to business news. We saw our first story from a CBC reporter 26 minutes into the broadcast.

I don’t necessarily think that this is a bad thing — I’m sure CBC would like to use their own resources, but I’m happy seeing detailed coverage regardless of the source.

Also of note: BBC News has an analysis of the Russian TV coverage of the siege. It’s interesting reading how completely state-owned media covers such a tragedy.

I’ve generally had mixed feelings about Caller ID. Using it on my cell phone, I can definitely see the advantages of the technology. Still, I’ve objected since the beginning about forcing everyone to participate in the system where individuals are instantly identified.

I may seem like an old-school fuddy-duddy, but I think there’s some merit to being able to personally identify myself on the phone. What if, in the course of doing my job as a journalist, someone won’t answer the phone because the newspaper’s name is emblazoned across their display?

I’ve never heard of it happening before, but I do employ a combo of calling methods to reach a source that’s hard to get ahold of. I always identify myself as a reporter, but I’d like the option of doing it personally as a human being instead of an electronic switch shutting me out.

It is possible to block your outgoing ID on many calls except law enforcement and emergencies. Some states allow total ID blocking (like California), some require users to block their number during every call (like Michigan).

And it is worth acknowledging that Caller ID blocking has the potential for abuse from cretins like telemarketers and stalkers. Still the technology is neutral, it’s the human application of the innovation where the potential for abuse is introduced.

Case in point, there’s some new Caller ID spoofing technology being launched this week. The Detroit Free Press’ Mike Wendland has more details on e-mail spammers resorting to landlines, and spoofing their ID, to spread their message. The technology is apparently geared toward helping private investigators and creditors to do their jobs.

It will be interesting to see if spammers who like to pretend they’re from the bank will try their tricks out on telephones. If anything, I suppose it’s another reason to be certain we know who we’re talking to and not merely rely on the technology on hand.