Welcome to the Wilcox Family weB LOG, your source for the latest Wilcox news, anecdotes, and rants; and, as Jack Benny quipped on his first radio show (March 29, 1932), “There will be a slight pause while you say, ‘Who cares?’â€â€
[doug]Technology enthusiasts (or probably anyone else) will be interested in reading this article from PC Magazine about technologies that will definitely have an impact on our lives in the next 2 to 25 years. There’s some amazing stuff: Everything from E-Bombs (think EMP*) to Wireless Mesh Networks to Quantum Cryptography.
*Electromagnetic pulse, for those of you who weren’t interested in the Cold War, or have never seen “Dark Angel.â€
After hearing Phil Luchon tell as about half a million times, “You have to buy Dungeon Seige,†I finally picked up a copy of this $30 gem. It’s a role-playing game with an emphasis on action done by Microsoft and Gas Powered Games. David and Isaac beg to play it every day (and lament the fact that, unless they supplement their computer time with educational activities, they only get an hour of game time per day). A few screen shots are below.
[doug][nuke]It seems that today I have come across a number of headlines that reflect individual, societal, or corporate stupidity. Let me share a few:
Individual: Not getting enough attention with your body piercings? Have your tongue split!
Reuters Oddly Enough news simply titled this article, “Aaaaaaaaagggggghhhhhhhhhhh!!!! †Enough said, da?
Societal: Let’s boost tourism by catering to marijuana-smokers!
A little history:
Last month, the Canadian government introduced legislation to end criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Under the bill, people caught with 15 grams (half an ounce, or enough for about 15 to 30 joints) or less of cannabis would only be fined, and criminal penalties would be reduced on those growing up to 25 marijuana plants.
I won’t even begin to list the stupidity of moving toward the legalization of marijuana (but, hey, it’s Canada—the people who brought you the best argument against Socialized Medicine in North America), but check out these statements, made by “Prince of Pot†Mark Emery:
â€Marijuana—that means fun times, parties, a cool city and an enlightened state of mind,†Emery told a crowd gathered in front of Toronto's police headquarters.
Cradling a marijuana plant in the crook of his arm, and a pipe in one hand, Emery said: “Believe me, marijuana people don’t create problems like alcohol people. You want those kinds of tourists who are laughing, having a good time, and eating a whole lot in Toronto restaurants.â€
See the full article here at Reuters.
¡Qué bárbaro! (What an idiot!) Apparently, slowed thinking and reaction time, confusion, impaired balance and coordination, cough, frequent respiratory infections, permanently impaired memory and learning, increased heart rate, anxiety, panic attacks, drug tolerance, and addiction are not problems. You might want to wander over to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America® site.
Corporate: USB Whah?
Confused about USB standards? You will be.
In December [the USB Forum] announced that henceforth USB 1.1 would be called USB 2 and USB 2 would continue to be called USB 2. To help the public grasp this subtle distinction USB 2, which was the old USB 1.1, would have “Full Speed†added to its title and USB 2, which was USB 2, would have “Hi-Speed†added.
See the full article here at the Bangkok Post.
[nichelle]Well, the technician checked twice and the result is in: We're having a girl!!!!!!!! We (Isaac, David, and I) saw her yawn several times. The boys were asking many different questions and commenting on what some of the body parts looked like, e.g. a t-rex, a skyscraper, etc. The technician thought it was pretty funny.
Doug and I have had the first name picked out for some time now (before Isaac was born), but we're not sure what the middle name is going to be. Your suggestions are welcome. [Note from Doug: I’ll get a Web form up for submissions soon.] For those that don't know yet, the first name is going to be Naomi.
Details have been released at the USA Today site about the extra content that will be in The Two Towers extended edition, to be released November 18.
See also our release dates notice post.
(Thanks to Ilene Tatroe for sharing the news.)
According to the Hobbes’ Internet Timeline, CERN didn’t release the WWW until 1991. So, you can imagine my surprise when I saw this AdWords link on Google, of a Web developer boasting of 20 years’ experience.
Judging by the view through his Webcam (overlooking a private harbor of some sort), he hasn’t exactly done too badly for himself, even if his site is a bit overdesigned and hyperactive.
I’ve seen a number of interesting Lego-related items in the past two days. Here are three good ones:
Wow! I still haven’t gotten around to completing my Lego Thunderbird 2 model (my first ever attempt at a Lego reproduction.
Well, it’s about time I updated a few family items; Nichelle can add her 2¢ later.
I scored 44.77318% — Major Geek. (SWEET! I’m actually far more geeky than a couple years ago: 61.14398% – Extreme Geek.) Co-worker Kevin Miller may be disappointed in that rating, he always acknowledges me as an Uber-Geek. :: sighs ::
Or Perhaps You Are Evil Genius Material?
[nuke][doug]It angered me when I heard (a few years ago) that former President Bill Clinton shook hands with Fidel Castro at the United Nations. Were I President, I would have relished the opportunity to speak with Castro, but I would not have shaken his hand, and my conversation would have opened with, “¿Por que odias tu propio gente?†(Why do you hate your own people?)
One of the first Cuban exiles I ever met, Pastor Elmer Fernandez, has a lovely final memory of Cuba—he was able to flee to America to be with relatives when he was 8 years old—his last significant memory is his mother saying to him, “Do you hear that noise? Those are gunshots. They [Castro’s revolutionaries] are executing our pastor.â€
Modern-day Cuba should be a paradise. It has amazing agricultural and tourist potential, yet in all but a few areas it clearly demonstrates the absolute failure of Totalitarian Communism. We know a number of people who have visited Cuba, some on covert missions trips, who are able to provide a better picture than our media. Would you like to live in a large city that has running water only two hours a week? How about visiting a hospital emergency room with your infant, to find nothing but squalor and crying? Would you enjoy being part of a population that cannot buy aspirin? Or books? The people there don’t even mention Castro’s name—they merely make a sign with their fist like a beard.
It is a pity Castro has lived so long.