Let Me Get What I Wish For

An email exchange with a fellow mountain biker:

Then I hope for world peace, Bush's impeachment, and 57 virgins without having to become a suicide bomber.

ryin

--- [Fellow Mountain Biker] wrote:

> How funny is it that you mention riding in your message, and I get to
> see you the very same day at Walnut Creek. You should be careful what
> you hope for... Enjoy your day.

Holy Cow

I don't know if it's a pricing error or just cutthroat competition, but I was able to book a round-trip ticket from AUS to SJC for $110 on Continental. That's insane considering that it cost me about $30 to fill my 12-gallon gas tank this evening.

I Give Up

There are certain battles that I just can't win. I've invested too much energy. Time to refocus on more fruitful pursuits.

Tie Your Shoelaces, Kids

This is just ridiculous:

A loose shoelace led to White Sox DH Carl Everett's groin pull Thursday. Everett tripped over his shoelace while taking his lead off first base, fell to the ground and suffered a mild strain in his right groin during the rundown that followed. He's expected to miss two or three games.

Everett's salary for 2005 is $4M, meaning that this shoelace incident is a $50K boo boo.

Notebook Extinction?

Does a desktop and handheld device make more sense than a notebook? This article cites one company that is attempting such a conversion with 700 employees. The desktop offers more power, has a longer lifecycle, and is cheaper to maintain. The handheld offers email, web, and IM - not to mention being a lot lighter and more portable than a notebook.

My notebook is up for replacement, but I may opt to go the desktop/handheld route.

Dell is OK After All

My Dell Axim X30 produces hissing sounds when it plays music files. Over the weekend, I was reminded of Dell's 1-year warranty. After two emails to support, I received this response:

I apologize for the problems you have encountered with your Dell Axim30. We appreciate the opportunity to work with you to resolve the situation.

I have submitted a request to ship the necessary replacement Axim30 to you for your satisfaction.

I could get used to this type of treatment.

Bad Idea

I'm here to testify that a banana flavored PowerBar washed down with a double Jack and Coke is a bad idea for a post midnight snack. Oh my tummy hurts.

Come On In

It only took 6 months, but I managed to leave my moonroof open during torrential downpours. In my '88 Accord, I didn't care. Having a new car is full of problems.

Bye bye, iPod

In an effort to experiment with the Yahoo! Music subscription service, I purchased the iRiver H10 20 GB to replace my iPod. For $60/year, or the price of 4 CDs, I will be able to fill my digital music player with the latest releases from trendy female singer/songwriters.

I'm sick of iTunes. What a piece of crap. Since the iRiver device is compatible with Windows Media Player 10, I won't have to install yet another music application. Microsoft may be monopolistic, but they do make my life easier. So here' s raising my middle finger to the iPod, iTunes, and their i-relatives. Enjoy your temporary market dominance. You will be Netscaped in due time.

How To Save $1,500

1. Have your trusty laptop display a catastrophic failure message upon boot.
   
2. Panic.
   
3. On your other computer, spend 3 hours researching the best replacement laptop.
   
4. Ignore your research because Dell has a big coupon with free shipping. Moreover, Dell will double your memory at no charge.
   
5. Order your $1,500 laptop from Dell.
   
6. Curse at the fact that it will be a week before they ship it.
   
7. Awake the next morning with a calmer head. Write down the error message and ask your good buddy, Mr. Google, for possible fixes.
   
8. Mr. Google proves his worth by offering up a solution that remedies the catastrophic failure.
   
9. Call Dell. Hope you get a representative who speaks a dialect of English you understand.
   
10. Cancel your order from the previous night.
    
11. Savor the $1,500 you just saved.