Logan's Stuff

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T13:49:00.002-06:00

I dressed up like a dummy for Halloween 2009. I sat on my friend's porch and would be really still. Then when people would reach to get candy I would scare them. Some people I would never move so that the people behind them would really think I was fake. Anywho my battery died after 30 minutes so we missed some good scares. They seemed to get better as the night went. Anyways here is the video that I compiled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUiEo6iKN-E

My Freelance Adventures

2009-10-24T12:43:00.002-05:00

October 15, 2009 was my last day at work but this week has really felt no different. I had 2 midterms on this past Thursday and I spent the majority of each day with my nose in the books. After my midterms I went fishing with Landon and surprising enough the boat didn't break or anything. We didn't catch anything though, so I guess me bringing bad luck continues. We were on our way back in and his boat goes about 70 mph. I had never ridden in a boat that went that fast, heck most of the fishing boats I had ever been in did good to go 30 mph. Anyhow I held on for my life and it was pretty fun other than not being able to breathe. Then whoosh off went my hat so we turned around to get it and it was floating on top of the water. We almost went right over it but I slung my body out over the boat and swept it up in one swift motion. Ok, I can't lie you all know how clumsy I am. I almost fell out of the boat :).

Freelance Work

I have been working on the Etowah Baptist Association's website, I am in the process of transferring it over to a new host and will then be maintaining it. I also went live last night with a site for the Gadsden Hospitality Association, http://www.gadsdenlodging.com. I stayed up late last night working on a client portfolio system for a graphic designer.

Until next time

Unemployed Life

2009-10-19T17:17:00.003-05:00

Well in case some of you did not know, I quit my job last week. I had worked there for 5 years and with my classes becoming increasingly harder I had to quit work to focus on studying.

Today was my first Monday off which I normally worked around 10 hours on Mondays. It is just amazing how productive today has been for me as far as studying goes.

I got up went to class, came home spent an hour and half and finished a COBOL programming assignment. COBOL is actually starting to make sense to me and it seems scarily easy. Then I did some freelance web design work and took a lunch break. Man I can fix a mean bacon sandwich ha.

I tried reading some Accounting but couldn't get focused and now I have been doing calculus for the past 2 1/2 hours. Homeworkalabama.com is my best friend, just hope I am not relying on them so much that it hurts me on the test.

Until later.

Save $$$: Get Free Candy

2009-09-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that you can register for a coupon for FREE M&M Mars chocolate today and every Friday morning at 9:00am EST through Friday, September 25th. You can claim one coupon per email each Friday, for a total of four coupons per household. They come via regular mail.

Then, once you start receiving your coupons in the mail, keep an eye out for BOGO or better sales at your local grocery stores and drugstores. I turned two coupons into 5 FREE candies by using my coupons on a Buy 2, Get 3 Free sale.

Save $$$: Get Free Candy

2009-09-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Save $$$: Get Free Candy

2009-09-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

Save $$$: Get Free Candy

2009-09-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

Save $$$: Get Free Candy

2009-08-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

Food: Arby's Free Food Wednesday

2009-08-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Every wednesday Arby's gives something away for free. Ok well at least with the purchase of a soft drink or some other product.

This week you can get a Free Regular Beef ‘n Cheddar with any soft drink purchase

Save $$$: Get Free Candy

2009-08-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

TV: Brian Williams & Jon Stewart Duke It Out

2009-08-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Brian Williams

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Spinal Tap Performance

Food: Arby's Free Food Wednesday

2009-08-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

Every wednesday Arby's gives something away for free. Ok well at least with the purchase of a soft drink or some other product.

This week you can get a Free Iced FruiTea with any sandwich purchase

Movie Review: G.I. Joe

2009-08-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

While a good attempt, it failed miserably

This movie had some potential but it was thrown out the window. The first five minutes of the movie you are thrown into a surface to air battle in which you have computer generated helicopters by Andrew Kramer of http://www.videocopilot.net. While they look pretty darn good you are still able to tell they are CG. However, this isn't my biggest complaint of the first five minutes. My biggest complaint is the fact you are thrown into an action scene without being told anything first.

You are not drawn into the fight and have no clue as to what is going on. It's simply a bunch of stuff blowing up and people running around.

The whole time I was watching the movie I kept thinking how much the lead actor's accent sounded like it was from here in Alabama. Well I just looked him up and Channing Tatum was born about an hour away from me in Cullman, Alabama. So I guess that buys him a little support from me that he otherwise did not have.

After some ridiculous special effects and a "silly" script I give this movie a 5/10.

Food Review: Tag Along Blizzard

2009-08-18T11:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, This thing is GOOD!!!

So other day I had a tag along girl scout cookie blizzard from DQ. It is like taking a regular peanut butter blizzard and making it 10 times better. Now you have some crunch to break up the creaminess of the pb and ice cream. I strongly recommend this. I give it a 9/10!!! That's almost unheard of in my food ratings.

Movies: Lego Movie Announced!!

2009-08-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Have they gone too far this time?

I guess with toy movies such as G.I. Joe and Transformers doing well, LEGO has jumped on the bandwagon. Plans have been in the works for a while to make movies based on (among others) Stretch Armstrong, Hot Wheels, Battleship, and even View-Master. And now plans have been announced for a movie based on LEGO.

Thats right, LEGO who usually denies being included into movies is now getting a movie made based around them. LEGO would not allow pixar to use their toys in the Toy Story series. So tell me is this going to be a LEGO pirate film, or a LEGO space adventure. What Gives? How are they going to come up with a full length feature film using LEGOS??? Isn't the great thing about LEGO is that fact that you get to use your imagination?

Save $$$, Make Your Own Tiki Torch

2009-08-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Think cheap Tiki torches are tacky? Want something a bit sturdier and with more refined looks? Use this simple tutorial to turn recycled wine bottles into swanky bug-repelling outdoor lighting.

Gerardot&Co., a design and marketing agency, put together a tutorial on recycling wine bottles into mounted torches. The design is ingeniously simple, and requires only a few bucks worth of parts from your local hardware store. You'll need a few copper fittings, a bolt, a few nuts, and a mounting plate, along with a standard torch wick and some oil.

For the tutorial go here http://www.gerardotandco.com/blog/recycled-bottle-torch/

Iphone: TomTom App Available $99.99

2009-08-17T16:00:00.000-05:00

TomTom U.S. & Canada covers all U.S. states including Hawaii and Alaska, Canada and all of its provinces, and Puerto Rico. TomTom U.S. & Canada can be downloaded from the U.S. App Store for $99.99.

All of TomTom’s navigation apps feature TomTom IQ Routes, which calculates the smartest and most efficient routes for you based on other users’ driving experiences, portrait and landscape mode, multi-touch gestures, and the ability to access addresses via your contacts list.

TomTom also advertises the iPhone car kit within the apps’ description, but the URL listed merely brings you to a news sign-up page, so we are still left waiting for a price point and release date.

Misc: 9 Alternative Uses for Dryer Sheets

2009-08-17T15:00:00.000-05:00

Dryer sheets give your laundry that so-fresh-you'll-sneeze scent, but they also keep bugs away, make stuffy hotel rooms and second hand smoke more tolerable, save on vacuum filters, and have more creative uses than your spam box has investment proposals.

1.) Keep shoes smelling nice, clean pots and pans with them

2.) Add water and scrub gum out of your dryer

3.) Use as a vacumm filter replacement

4.) Dampen with hose and use to get bugs off your car *summertime*

5.) Dangle half of one out of your hat or out of the top of your shoe to repel bugs.

6.) If you don't wanna look goofy just rub one all over yourself

7.) Forget febreeze use a dryer sheet to make your hotel room smell nice, try the air conditioner vent

8.) Include one in your luggage for fresh smelling clothes

9.) Stuff some into a toilet paper roll and use it as a smoke filter, simply blow your cigarette smoke into the filter

News: Burning Lady Closes Mall!!

2009-08-17T13:00:00.000-05:00

Witness Jose Morales described what he saw. “Whatever she threw on herself, it looked like movie, Hollywood stunt stuff,” he said. “She kept on walking not screaming not nothing.”Meanwhile, mall officials said fire and police officials forced them to shut down the mall.”The mall is closed until the fire department and police release the order and as we clean up,” Myrna Lee, assistant property manager.According to the newspaper, a Good Samaritan pushed the woman to the ground in an attempt to extinguish the fire. Two other people used fire extinguishers to help.The woman ran outside into the parking lot where firefighters found her with third-degree burns on more than 75 percent of her body. Police and fire officials are looking into a motive.

Misc: Living Healthy On Campus

2009-08-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Fitness and Fitness Centers

Most universities have a Recreation Center on campus. Besides being healthy for you, it's often part of your tuition bill, so it makes sense for you to take advantage of the amenity. Here are some tips to get you there:

Incorporate it into your class schedule. When you're planning your courses for the next semester, keep your daily workout in mind. Know when you want to go and where your classes are, so you can plan your classes accordingly.

Find a workout buddy. Find someone in your dorm (preferably someone you're already friends with) and go to the gym together. This will work best if it's your roommate because there's someone across the room that won't let you go to bed without having worked-out.

Eating

Salad Bars. Use the salad bar in your dining hall to "healthify" the things in your dining hall. Put the chicken from the sandwich with fries in your salad. Put nuts, dried fruits and other things to make it a meal that will keep you away from the pizza bar.

Take advantage of breakfast. There's going to be someone making breakfast in the dining hall for you everyday. It can be as healthy as it is tasty if you have a healthy cereal, some fruit, and eggs. Again, someone is preparing this for you, so when you're tired in the morning, all you have to do is roll down there and get your grub.

Go back to your dorm between classes. Six smaller meals can be a better diet plan than eating three square ones (or so we've heard). Going back to your dorm for an hour between classes has a lot of benefits for your health. The walking back and forth from your dorm to the academic building burns calories. You can eat more smaller meals from your private stock and center yourself before heading back out into the world.

Drink only water, orange juice and reduced fat milk. The latter assumes that you'll be drinking copious amount of alcoholic drinks on the weekends and energy drinks during your all-nighters. One of the biggest causes of weight gain is soda. It's really easy to just go get some Mountain Dew out of the fountain. Also, it's better to drink coffee and tea when pulling an all-nighter.

Sleeping

Do it. College students are notorious for their unhealthy sleeping habits. Having been there, I know why. You're put into a playpen where there are no rules and every night is a giant sleepover. If you go in knowing this, then you'll notice it and have a better chance of putting yourself to bed at a decent hour on most nights.

Have a nightly routine. I'm talking more than your conventional brush-your-teeth and wash-your-face routine. It's more intensive. Putting your books in your bag and preparing as much of your breakfast as you can, for example, will help in the battle of getting out of bed the next morning.

http://www.lifehacker.com

TV: Fringe Season 2 Promo

2009-08-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

Misc: Australian Seal Loves Chocolate?

2009-08-17T10:00:00.000-05:00

Australian Seal Creates Traffic Problems

Perhaps it was the smell of chocolate wafting from the Cadbury factory nearby.

Motorists reported the bull seal's errant stroll from the Derwent River estuary and on to Cadbury Road, which leads to the Australian home of the famed chocolate manufacturer, shortly after 10.20pm (AEST).

The busy road serves the neighbourhood in the Cadbury Estate, near the factory, and was packed with traffic because a shift had just finished at the plant.

"We had two units nearby that had finished with another job, although I think the other unit just went down for a look, and there was a big, fat bull seal in the middle of the road,'' Tasmania Police spokesman Constable Stuart Franklin said.

"Using a combination ushering and shouting, and using their vehicles, they managed to get him back into the water.

"He (the seal) was a bit upset. He was making lots of funny noises.''

It took less than 10 minutes for the police, from the nearby Glenorchy station, to coax the seal back across a grassed reserve and into the river, Constable Franklin said.

Police have advised members of the public not to approach seals out of the water because they may bite if they feel threatened.

"We get the odd one coming out of the water but its unusual for them to get on the road,'' Constable Franklin said.

"They can come out of the estuary but usually not so far from Hobart and not out of such a sheltered bay.''

Misc: Codi & Landon Wedding Idea!!!

2009-08-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

Codi Keener Can We Please Enter Your Wedding Like This?

News: Colonial Bank Closed

2009-08-15T17:00:00.000-05:00

Bank Failure #74: Down Goes Colonial

From the FDIC: BB&T, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Assumes All of the Deposits of Colonial Bank, Montgomery, Alabama
Colonial Bank, Montgomery, Alabama, was closed today by the Alabama State Banking Department, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as receiver. ...

Colonial Bank's 346 branches in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Nevada and Texas will reopen under normal business hours beginning tomorrow and operate as branches of BB&T. ...

"The past 18 months have been a very trying period in the financial services arena, but the FDIC and its staff have performed as Congress envisioned when it created the corporation more than 75 years ago," said FDIC Chairman Sheila C. Bair. "Today, after protecting almost $300 billion in deposits since the current financial crisis began, the FDIC's guarantee is as certain as ever. Our industry funded reserves have covered all losses to date. In fact, losses from today's failures are lower than had been projected. I commend our staff for their excellent work in assuring once again a smooth transition for bank customers with these resolutions. The FDIC continues to stand by the nation's insured deposits with the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. No depositor has ever lost a penny of their insured deposits."
...
As of June 30, 2009, Colonial Bank had total assets of $25 billion and total deposits of approximately $20 billion. ... The FDIC and BB&T entered into a loss-share transaction on approximately $15 billion of Colonial Bank's assets.

The FDIC estimates that the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) will be $2.8 billion. ... Colonial Bank is the 74th FDIC-insured institution to fail in the nation this year, and the first in Alabama. The last FDIC-insured institution to be closed in the state was Birmingham FSB, Birmingham, on August 21, 1992.

TV: The Return Of Leno

2009-08-15T16:00:00.000-05:00

Jay Leno's prime-time series debuts on September 14th, and he has already gotten some pretty big music acts lined up!!

Now he has released who his first studio guest is going to be and it's none other than Jerry Seinfield.

Seinfield will probably be there promoting his new reality series The Marriage Ref, boy am I excited about that!!!

Twitter Down Once Again

2009-08-15T12:12:00.003-05:00

It appears that Saturday August 15 at 12:00 Twitter is down once again. I really love twitter but does the lack of stability bother you? I know it is simply a web service that we can all live without, however it is something that we have come to use frequently. Sites of this magnitude such as facebook, myspace etc... do not seem to be taken out nearly as often. If they are it does not affect the entire community.

This is what Twitter had to say on their blog as of Friday August 7th, "In the past 24 hours, we've been contending with a variety of attacks that continue to change in nature and intensity. We're working to restore access to apps built on the Twitter platform that were affected by defensive measures—there was some overcompensation on our part as we tune our system to deal with this scale of attack."

Over a week later and we are still experiencing quite a few down times. All I have to say is step it up Twitter.

Misc: 500 lb inmate hides gun in fat!!

2009-08-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

Obesity is a danger to America!

A 500-pound inmate in Texas has been charged again after authorities found out he hid a 9mm pistol in under a roll of his flab of his fat.

George Vera was originally sentenced for selling illegal copies of CDs but managed to end up being booked for possession of a firearm after he told a guard at Harris County Jail about the unloaded gun he hid within the crevices of his own body.

Vera admitted to having the gun during a shower break at the county jail!

Sorry if you're reading this while eating!!!

TV Shows: Is It The End For Jack Bauer?

2009-08-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

Kiefer Sutherland named the highest paid TV actor in the US.

Kiefer makes $550,000 per episode of 24 beating out Hugh Laurie, the star of House, who makes $400,000 per episode.

However, he might not be pulling in a paycheck like this for much longer, The executives at FOX are considering pulling the plug on this expensive bit of tv programming.

Fox's head of programming reveals, "It's going to come down to a business decision. It's not an inexpensive show on the network books and we also want to finish strong. This is not a show we want to prop up."

But don't fret you will get at least one more season of non stop action.

Gamer The Movie - 09.04.09

2009-08-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Gamer The Movie

As previously stated I am not a big gamer. However this movie concept actually seems pretty cool. In case you can't or don't want to watch the trailer above. The basics of the movie is that there is a war going on, but someone playing a video game is controlling human soldiers in the "real" war.

This actually reminds me of an article I read not too long ago about soldiers that fly drone planes. It was talking about how the soldiers face an enormous amount of stress and have a hard time separating work from their home life. They said that they could be flying a drone remotely and dropping bombs on suspected terrorists and then 30 minutes later be sitting in their living room trying to live a normal life with their family.

Web Stuff: Friday Fun

2009-08-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

Is it really possible?

Did Microsoft finally do something halfway intelligent when it comes to marketing? I mean granted someone else created it but they realized they weren't hip or catchy so they opened it up to a contest.

This is the worst jingle I have heard in a long time, BUT it might be the catchiest I have heard in a long time. In fact I had it stuck in my head the whole and I can even do the Bing Dance.

The weekend is almost here, so take a deep breath, relax and then do the Bing dance.

Movies: Halloween II Trailer Released

2009-08-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

“Michael Myers is still at large and no less dangerous than ever. After a failed reunion to reach his baby sister at their old home, Laurie Strode is immediately taken to a hospital to be treated by the wounds that had been afflicted by her brother a few hours ago. However, Michael isn’t too far off and will continue his murdering ‘Halloween’ rampage until he gets his sister all to himself. Written by Anonymous”

Director: Rob Zombie

Release Date: 28 August 2009 (USA)

Run Time: 101 min

Country: USA

Genre: Horror , Thriller

Football: 2 Weeks & Counting

2009-08-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's finally almost here

September 5th, the madness begins

TBA	Portland State at Oregon State	Tickets
1:05 AM ET	Central Arkansas at Hawaii	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Towson at Northwestern	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Montana State at Michigan State	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Appalachian State at East Carolina	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Minnesota at Syracuse	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Kentucky at Miami (OH)	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Navy at Ohio State	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Akron at Penn State	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Liberty at West Virginia	Tickets
12:00 PM ET	Toledo at Purdue	Tickets
12:05 PM ET	Northern Iowa at Iowa	Tickets
12:21 PM ET	Western Kentucky at Tennessee	Tickets
1:00 PM ET	Jacksonville State at Georgia Tech	Tickets
1:00 PM ET	Youngstown State at Pittsburgh	Tickets
2:00 PM ET	Northeastern at Boston College	Tickets
2:00 PM ET	Nicholls State at Air Force	Tickets
3:00 PM ET	Weber State at Wyoming	Tickets
3:30 PM ET	San Jose State at USC	Tickets
3:30 PM ET	Nevada at Notre Dame	Tickets
3:30 PM ET	Western Michigan at Michigan	Tickets
3:30 PM ET	Baylor at Wake Forest	Tickets
3:30 PM ET	Georgia at Oklahoma State	Tickets
3:30 PM ET	Jackson State at Mississippi State	Tickets
3:40 PM ET	Missouri vs. Illinois*	Tickets
4:00 PM ET	Rice at UAB	Tickets
4:30 PM ET	Southern Illinois at Marshall	Tickets
5:00 PM ET	Northwestern State at Houston	Tickets
6:00 PM ET	Citadel at North Carolina	Tickets
6:00 PM ET	Middle Tennessee State at Clemson	Tickets
6:00 PM ET	William & Mary at Virginia	Tickets
6:00 PM ET	Samford at UCF	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Louisiana Tech at Auburn	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Missouri State at Arkansas	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Charleston Southern at Florida	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Wofford at South Florida	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Richmond at Duke	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Florida Atlantic at Nebraska	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Connecticut at Ohio	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Brigham Young vs. Oklahoma*	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	New Mexico at Texas A&M	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Louisiana-Monroe at Texas	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Northern Illinois at Wisconsin	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Southern University at Louisiana-Lafayette	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Army at Eastern Michigan	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Northern Colorado at Kansas	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	Alcorn State at Southern Miss	Tickets
7:00 PM ET	North Dakota at Texas Tech	Tickets
7:05 PM ET	Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas State	Tickets
7:10 PM ET	Massachusetts at Kansas State	Tickets
7:30 PM ET	San Diego State at UCLA	Tickets
7:30 PM ET	Indiana State at Louisville	Tickets
7:30 PM ET	Western Carolina at Vanderbilt	Tickets
8:00 PM ET	Idaho at New Mexico State	Tickets
8:00 PM ET	Alabama vs. Virginia Tech*	Tickets
8:00 PM ET	Stanford at Washington State	Tickets
8:00 PM ET	Stephen F. Austin at Southern Methodist	Tickets
9:00 PM ET	Central Michigan at Arizona	Tickets
9:00 PM ET	Buffalo at UTEP	Tickets
10:00 PM ET	Idaho State at Arizona State	Tickets
10:00 PM ET	Maryland at California	Tickets
10:00 PM ET	UC Davis at Fresno State	Tickets
10:00 PM ET	Sacramento State at UNLV	Tickets
10:30 PM ET	LSU at Washington

TV: Stewie Griffin is gay

2009-08-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

There is probably going to be a lot that disagree weith me but here we go!!

Seth McFarlane has hinted for years that the youngest character in his series Family Guy is gay. McFarlane revealed in a recent interview with Playboy that Stewie is gay.

In the interview, Seth says:
"We had an episode that went all the way to the script phase in which Stewie does come out. It had to do with the harassment he took from other kids at school. He ends up going back in time to prevent a passage in Leviticus from being written: ‘Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is an abomination.’ But we decided it’s better to keep it vague, which makes more sense because he’s a 1-year-old. Ultimately, Stewie will be gay or a very unhappy repressed heterosexual. It also explains why he’s so hellbent on killing [his mother, Lois] and taking over the world: He has a lot of aggression, which comes from confusion and uncertainty about his orientation."

My Opinion
I for one will admit that I have watched some Family Guy and I did find it somewhat humorous. However, one episode I watched was blatantly making fun of my relationship with God. I tried to overlook it so I could continue to watch the show but I couldn't do it. It really just bothered me too bad.

You may be wondering why I am even posting this here. Well I know several of my fellow believers watch Family Guy and my question to them is this. Why do you watch shows like this and support them when they support homosexuality. If you truly believe that's wrong then let's stand by that and quit saying oh thats wrong but yet seemingly support it by watching shows like Will & Grace and Family Guy.

Iphone App Review: Paper Toss

2009-08-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'll admit it

I am not the biggest gaming fan in the world. In fact I don't even own a console. However I am considering buying an Xbox 360 to play Call Of Duty.

Anywho like I was saying I am not that big into games. A simple game that is easy to pick up, play for a little while and then put down is the right type of game for me.

Paper Toss fits right into that category. With three levels you can challenge yourself however much you want. You simply swipe your finger upwards and the paper is thrown towards the basket. Watch out for the fan in the office as it will throw your paper's trajectory off, so you must compensate for it.

Paper Toss is a FREE game, so that makes it worth every penny. Download it today from the App Store and let me know what you think.

Save $$$: Get Free Candy

2009-08-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

News: Michael Phelps Wrecks

2009-08-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Phelps unhurt after he hit another car in Maryland

CNN reports that olympic gold medalist michael phelps was involved in a car crash last night in Maryland, but he was luckier than his passengers.

His two passengers and the lady from the other car were transported to the hospital for precautionary measures. Phelps was interviewed for a little over an hour as part of the accident's investigation.

Officers do not believe Alcohol was involved, but hey maybe he was just high instead of blitzed.

Misc: Spielberg directing Halo Movie???

2009-08-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

Say it "aint" so, Mr. Spielberg!!!

I read earlier in the week that, Spielberg is considering directing the infamous Halo movie.

There is only one reason I can think of he would consider doing this. Stick with me for just a moment, lets take a walk back in time and think of all the Video Games that have been made into horrible movies. Pretty sad huh, ok now why on earth would someone with the reputation of his want to take on a project that is destined to fail?

Perhaps, by taking on a genre that has always failed. He can take this movie, make a blockbuster and be known as that much cooler because he did. Spielberg you have nothing to prove to us, is it really worth the risk?

Misc: People Murdered For TV Ratings!!!

2009-08-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

Brazilian TV Host Orders Hits

Thats right, apparently tv host Wallace Souza was always on the scene. In face many times before police ever arrived, allowing him to gather graphic images of the crime scenes. This didn't happen just once but five times. Police became suspicious and are now investigating.

It appears that Souza ordered the hits, and had arranged to be notified first so that he could always be on the scene. This allowed him to boost his ratings and beat out the competition.

Souza's lawyer denies the charges and says that his client is being set up because of political motivations. Oh I didn't mention it but not only is Souza a tv host, he is also a state legislator!!

Souza started Canal Livre in the 1990s on a local station in Manaus, the capital of Brazil's largely lawless Amazonas state. It became popular among Manaus' 1.7 million residents before going off the air late last year as police intensified their investigation.

The show featured Souza, in a studio, railing against rampant crime in the state, punctuated with often exclusive footage of arrests, crime scenes and drug seizures.

One clip showed a reporter approaching a freshly burned corpse, covering his nose with his shirt and breezily remarking that "it smells like barbecue." Police say the victim was one of the five allegedly murdered at Souza's behest.

Sorry for that last section but this stuff is really going on around the world. What's wrong with people?

Tech: Microsoft Word No More

2009-08-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

May 2009 a federal jury awarded a company called i4i Ltd $200 million for patent damages against Microsoft. Then today the judge issued a permanent injunction against the sale of Word 2003 & 2007. Apparently i4i has a patent on how xml files are read and these versions of Word use their method for parsing xml files.

The company chairman states that he is not trying to cause problems or stop Microsoft from selling word, but he would just like for his company to be compensated where they legally deserve it. I completely agree that his company should be compensated, they actually had a patent for crying out loud. Microsoft is appealing the decision, they have 60 days before they have to stop selling it.

Food Review: Coffee Toffee Twisted Frostee

2009-08-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't this what that boy band drinks?

Despite the horrifying boy band commercial that initially promoted this frozen treat. This is an amazingly awesome product. I give it an 8/10, so that should be enough said for you to stop by Wendy's and pick one up.

They also have some other flavors such as the oreo twisted frostee, I haven't tried that one, but if you do please post a comment and let me know how it is. Coffee Toffee Twisted Frosted FTW!!

Misc: Radio Shack Is X Rated

2009-08-13T14:30:00.000-05:00

Maybe I shouldn't call it X Rated, but I definitely could call it uncensored. I was in Radio Shack earlier today looking at some ipod chargers with a friend.

All of a sudden i hear a kid rock song come blaring from the back of the store, well that's not too unusual. But then I hear the F bomb, and I'm like did I actually hear that? So I walk to the back of the store and sure enough I hear blah blah bla blah suck my RADIO EDIT. Except that it did not say RADIO EDIT, Radio Shack was indeed playing uncensored music in their store. They were not only playing it but they were blaring it to where the music was audible in the main part of the mall.

So if I were you and I had children I would not shop at Radio Shack, or at least don't take your children with you when you go shopping. Either the Radio Shack in the Gadsden Colonial Mall is breaking company policy or Radio Shack really needs to take a look at their policy.

Do you agree with me or do you think I am overreacting? Let me know in the comments section below.

Football: SI Top 20 Scouting Report

2009-08-13T14:00:00.001-05:00

1.) Florida

2.) Texas

3.) Oklahoma

4.) USC

5.) Virginia Tech

6.) Ole Miss

7.) Oklahoma State

8.) Alabama

9.) Boise State

10.) Ohio State

11.) Oregon

12.) Georgia Tech

13.) LSU

14.) Penn State

15.) Georgia

16.) Florida State

17.) TCU

18.) Oregon State

19.) Utah

20.) North Carolina

Save $$$: Make Your Own Gatorade

2009-08-13T13:00:00.002-05:00

Ok it may not be exactly Gatorade, but hey if it was you'd probably get sued. Anywho The New York Times posted a simple recipe that shows you how to to make your own sports drink. To make your drink you will need the following ingredients.

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup hot water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 1/2 cups cold water

Instructions

As for the preparation, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water (using a quart pitcher), then add in the remaining ingredients and cold water. According to the NYT, "the drink contains about 50 calories and 110 mg of sodium per 8 ounces, approximately the same as for most sports drinks."

Music: New Sugar Ray Album

2009-08-13T12:00:00.001-05:00

Wow, after six years this is all they could come up with?

Seriously six years later, Sugar Ray comes out with a new album. After listening to it for just a little while I can tell you that this band is lost. The music on their new album feels like it's a wallflower at your freshman Homecoming Dance.

The first song on the album "Girl's were made to love" instantly reminds me of the Baha Men's "Who Let The Dog's Out??". Oh snap now I have that song stuck in my head. Well thats ok at least it got rid of the rest of Sugar Ray's trainwreck. This music definitely sounds as if it was made for an aging generation of women. Some songs have an 80's vibe to them, but the others simply have audiovox with a little noise mixed in.

I give it a 2/10, give it up Sugar Ray.

News: Rosa Parks Poster Torn

2009-08-13T11:00:00.001-05:00

The Rundown

Ok, so we all know about the heated debate going on in the nation over healthcare reform. I'm not really going to get into that but the video above was from Senator Claire McCaskill's town hall meeting on healthcare reform. This was all over news networks yesterday but they really only talked about the woman. Apparently, there were several other women and a little more to the story than what we saw.

A few ladies brought Rosa Parks posters to this town hall meeting, but when the crowd began yelling and booing at them they rolled the posters up. If you watch the video above, you can see that about half way through a lady unrolls a poster to show a journalist (Watch the bottom of your screen in the middle). Then you see an angry man in a blue shirt, dart over and snatch the poster away from the lady. The lady then runs after the man and her poster and is then dragged and pushed out by security.

You can also hear Senator McCaskill's attempt to regroup the crowd and feed them whatever she wants them to believe has happened.

My Question

The whole time I see this I'm thinking, why the heck is there a Rosa Parks poster at a healthcare meeting? Sure the women may have been trying to use it as a visual aid because of her prominent role in the civil rights movement. But healthcare affects all of us whether you're: black, white, green, blue or red.

TV Shows: American Idol

2009-08-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

What do I think about American Idol?

Well I think that it was a decent show in the beginning. I have watched it off and on almost every season. However I said before this past season started that it was being run into the ground.

Why is it that networks can't just let a good thing die while it is still a good thing. Wouldn't you rather be remembered as being a hit show that got canceled when it still had more to give. People would then always want more and more of it. However, when you run them into the ground like AI it simply makes me sick and I quit watching and will always have a bad taste in my mouth.

Will I watch it this year?

Oh, I am sure I will. It comes on right before Fringe.

What do I think about Paula leaving?

I say Good Riddance, this babbling fool often slowed the pace of the show and never added any useful comments. I really wish they would get rid of Kara as well. Her gaping mouth takes up half the screen and she really just gets under my skin to be honest.

So American Idol keep it up, This will be your last season.

Iphone App Review: Rowmote

2009-08-13T06:00:00.000-05:00

After having been on a PC for the past 15 years, about 2 weeks ago I drove an hour to the nearest app store and purchased my first mac. I purchased the upgraded model of the mac mini and had 2 GB of ram added.

My reason for purchasing the mac was simply so I could develop apps for the iPhone. However, I have since fallen in love with the mac. I know it sounds so "cliche" to say that it just works, but it's so true. Anyways I have really done very little programming with it but have been using it for my video editing.

I have been using iTunes on the PC since it came out for windows and I always would buy movies because I could put purchased movies onto my 5th gen iPod and play them on my tv. I never could get rented movies to play on the tv and this always really really annoyed me. Then enters macmini with front row. You may be thinking I thought this review was about Rowmote. Well it is, you see my tv remote went out about 9 months ago and I have been setting my tv to one channel at night and falling asleep.

Anyways, I am using rowmote to control the mac and frontrow. I am now able to rent movies for $3 or $4 dollars instead of having to shell out $10. Rowmote has worked absolutely great, you have to install a small piece of software on your mac but after that its just as easy to use as the mac.

I give it a 5/5

http://rowmote.com/Rowmote/Rowmote.html

Misc: Miley Cyrus TCA Performance Inappropriate?

2009-08-12T21:00:00.001-05:00

Ok so what do you think?

Was Miley's short short, pole dancing performance inappropriate or are people just overreacting? I personally feel like it was inappropriate especially considering that she has young girls looking up to her, not only teenage girls but girls that are 10 and under.

What kind of message is she sending with a performance like this? The song Party In The USA talks about going to a club. She gets homesick and almost decides to go homebut then she hears a phat jam and decides to stay. I'm probably taking this way out of context but doesn't this type of mentality seem to control every aspect of our lives. We know the right things to do, yet so often we let our desires get in the way and alter our decisions.

Leave some comments below and let me know what your opinion is.

Misc: Driverless Cars Coming 2010

2009-08-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

The main gallery of the Science Museum contains George Stephenson’s Rocket and a Model T Ford, machines that revolutionised transportation in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Yesterday morning, beside that pair, were two lozenge-shaped vehicles designed to effect a similar transformation in the 21st century.

The doors of one of these capsules folded back like a pair of butterfly wings to reveal a grey-and-white interior, seating for four and no sign of a driver or anything that one might drive it with: only a button set in the wall, with the word “start” written beside it. Mark Simmons, 6, from South London, followed his grandmother inside. “It looks like an alien spaceship,” he said.

It was built by a designer of the space age. Martin Lowson worked on the Saturn V Rocket, which launched the Apollo missions. He later designed the rotor blades for the world’s fastest helicopter.

The bubble-shaped, driverless cars with black, bug-eyed windows are his solution to the problems of urban travel. He began working on the system in 1995 and next year they are due to start operating at Heathrow, carrying passengers from car parks to Terminal 5.

“This could have the same effect on transport this century as theRocket had on the 19th,” he said, the bright zeal of the revolutionary gleaming for a moment in his eyes.

They are battery-powered taxis without a taxi driver. They lack any opinion on immigration, and any antipathy towards minicabs.

Passengers programme where they would like to go via a touch screen, and they coast along at 25mph on their own narrow road system.

They represent a personal rapid transit system, an idea that has been around since the 1950s. The US Defence Department, which is seeking to make a third of its combat vehicles unmanned by 2015, sought to stimulate developments with an annual driverless car race in California.

The cars had to negotiate a mock urban environment, full of competing driverless vehicles and other cars driven by stuntmen.

Paul Buckett, a spokesman for Volkswagen’s autonomous vehicle unit, a past winner of the race, said: “We could deliver a car to your office [near Tower Bridge] that could drive to Bristol. The technology exists, the problem is liability if there is an accident.”

Instead, the first driverless car in public use will be Professor Lowson’s “ULTra Personal Pod Cars”. Bath and Daventry councils are considering joining Terminal 5 in this putative revolution, and his company has received inquiries from America, the Middle East and India.

Paul Firmin, of the Institute of Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, has concerns about the potential “dehumanising” effects of the pod car system, but believes that its arrival could prove a crucial moment in public transport. “I will be watching Heathrow airport with bated breath,” he said.

Movie Review: Echelon Conspiracy

2009-08-12T15:00:00.001-05:00

My Take On Echelon Conspiracy

If you are able to take movies for just what they are, movies then you will probably love this movie. I for one tend to get caught up in the "This Is Ridiculous" mindset.

Echelon conspiracy was an intriguing movie to me mainly because I am a computer programmer. However I felt that the bad acting, ridiculous plot and trainwreck ending made this movie forgettable.

Basically the movie consists of one computer becoming aware of everything and sending text messages to various people to accomplish what it wants to do. So if you're a computer geek like myself you may enjoy the movie, but if you're not you may be better off getting something else.

Iphone: AT&T Rolling Out MMS Finally!!!

2009-08-12T13:50:00.002-05:00

It appears that AT& T is either testing MMS messaging in Washington or this is the start of the rollout we (iphone users) have all been waiting on.

Web Stuff: Facebook Lite

2009-08-12T13:38:00.003-05:00

Facebook Lite

In case you hear people talking about Facebook Lite and how it's the free alternative to the new paid version of Facebook, or perhaps a twitter-killer. Don't worry it's not.

Facebook lite is simply a version of facebook that is streamlined to load faster in rural areas and third world countries where broadband is not available. Facebook is simply trying to get their product out to more people. I actually commend facebook for recognizing the fact that their site is slow to load and creating a lite version. Heck I may even use it some.

Web Stuff: Sumo Paint

2009-08-12T13:00:00.000-05:00

A Web App Rivals Photoshop???

Ok, so maybe it doesn't really rival Adobe's Established Photoshop, but I actually like it better than the Gimp and Paint.net.

Sumo Paint - provides many of the same features that the expensive photoshop provides. Layers, brushes, integrated layout, etc...

The only downside I have been able to find with Sumo Paint is if I copy an image from something outside of it, such as a website I am not able to paste it. This just requires a simple save into paint and then you can save the file and open it in Sumo Paint.

There is nothing to install so give it a try at http://www.sumopaint.com/app/

Weather: Tropical Depression Two

2009-08-12T12:37:00.004-05:00

The second Tropical Depression of the year is remaining just below Tropical Storm strength.

At 11:00 AM CST it was located about 630 KM west of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands.

The depression is moving west at around 13 mph. The sustained winds are around 35 mph and the storm will likely strengthen to a Tropical Storm over the next 2 days.

Food: Arby's Free Food Wednesday

2009-08-12T12:00:00.005-05:00

Every wednesday Arby's gives something away for free. Ok well at least with the purchase of a soft drink or some other product.

This week you can get a Free Roast Chicken Club with any soft drink purchase

Misc: Woman Hurls Cup @ Mona Lisa???

2009-08-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Who would want French Nationality??

Apparently, there is a Russian woman that wanted it. In fact when she was denied nationality she devised a plan for revenge. She carefully toted her cup of (insert beverage here) into the Louvre museum.

She blew past the security guards and hired some men to release balloons covering the security cameras. Once she had made it to the crowd surrounding Mona she pushed her way to the front, as if she was in a mosh pit. She then hurled her cup at the painting and yelled take that France.

Ok so maybe the story above was stretched some, but in fact this past Monday a Russian lady did hurl her cup at the mona lisa painting. It was really because she was denied French Nationality. Luckily the frenchies had it enclosed in a bullet proof case.

Web Stuff: Chegg.com

2009-08-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

I Saved Over $400.00 Last Semester

I realize that if you just read the sentence above you probably think this is some sort of ad promoting chegg.com. However it actually isn't, I really did save over $400.00 on my books last semester.

After a quick trip to my campus book store website, I was able to find the ISBN numbers for all of my required books. I simply took those numbers plugged them into chegg.com and within minutes I had an order placed to rent my books for $400 cheaper than I could have bought them at the bookstore. I recieved the books in about 3 days and they were in great condition. Sure there were a few marks here and there but hey I got those when I paid a ton for "used" books at the bookstore.

Once the semester was over I simply packed them into their original box, printed out the free shipping label and off they went. I had such a great experience that I will be using them again this semester, and hopefully you'll be able to save some money too.

Movie Review: Night At The Museum

2009-08-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ok so I apparently have missed a bunch of movies over the past few years. Last night I decided to watch the first "Night At The Museum". I had read several reviews that said it was not worth watching. However I actually kind of enjoyed it. Sure there are lame parts of the movie, and sure they gave two little action figures 20 minutes of valuable time to argue. Seriously though? What did you expect, I say accept it for what it is and enjoy the few moments of humor that are intermixed throughout.

I give it a 5/10.

Misc: Meteor Shower Tonight

2009-08-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

It's a bird, its a plane, oh its just a meteorite.

Tonight will be the peak of the Perseids meteor shower.

Look for Perseid Earthgrazers tonight between 9:00 and 11:00 p.m.

The earthgrazers should be pretty spectacular tonight because the Moon and its glare will be below the horizon in the early evening. With no moon light around the meteors should be pretty visible.

While these meteorites may not be very frequent, the ones that you do see should be worth the wait. So if the weather is clear, find a nice dark place outside, take out a blanket, pull up a chair and enjoy a night of free entertainment. Pillows are recommended to avoid neck cramps.

Web Stuff: iPod or iPhone Speaker Deal

2009-08-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

Altec Lansing Orbit Speaker - 2 Pack

$14.99

If you have ever wanted a simple way to play music off your ipod without having to lug around an expensive system such as the iHome dock. This may just be your ticket.

Woot, has this awesome product for sale today on their Two for Tuesday. The cone shape provides 360 degrees of sound and it will play music for 24 straight hours on 3 AAA batteries.

Check it out at http://www.woot.com

Web Stuff: Your Facebook Data Being Sold

2009-08-11T15:00:00.001-05:00

Thats right wired, did an interview of Tim O'Shaughnessy, creator of LivingSocial.

When asked what inspired him to create living social

His basic answer was that he saw an opportunity to data harvest.

When asked what he does with the data

He replies We go to marketers and say, "Here are a couple million people into music, and here are a couple million into movies." We're working with American Idol, Green Day, TNT, a lot of large brands. - wired.com

Food Review: Chicken Gravy Biscuit

2009-08-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

Business: Chick Fil A

Product: Chicken Gravy Biscuit

So I was in Chick Fil A a couple mornings ago, big suprise. I pretty well go there every morning for breakfast. Occasionally I will suprise Jacks or Arbys. Anywho I took a look up at the breakfast menu determined to get something different than my usual 4 ct chicken minis, hashbrowns and sprite.

Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw another "Breakfast Menu". On this breakfast menu there were some breakfast items that seem to miss the Bright Lights of the featured breakfast menu. On it was a Chicken Gravy Biscuit. I decided to try it, and it was ok. I really couldn't decide if I liked it or not. So I tried it again the second day and I came to the conclusion that the white gravy just does not taste right. Either that or the batter that is on the chicken does not mix well with the gravy.

Either way, give it a try if you would like. I could eat it again if I had to. But I would recommend staying with the "featured breakfast menu".

Music: Bring The Rain

2009-08-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Bring The Rain

Artist: Mercy Me

I play bass in my church's praise band and this is a new song that we are learning.

Movie Review: The International

2009-08-11T06:00:00.003-05:00

Starring: Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Brian F. O'Byrne

Director: Tom Tykwer

Yes, I'm aware this movie has been out for a while. However if you have not seen it yet, Do yourself a favor and don't. It was really somewhat slow until the last 30 minutes and then there were some pretty cool action scenes. However even these weren't enough to overcome the terrible plot and ending to this story.

I give it a 4/10

Misc: Sprinkler Mishap

2009-08-10T18:19:00.003-05:00

I get off work today and had promised my grandpa I would come by and mix up some syrup for his hummingbird feeders. So I get to his house and there is already some mixed up, so all I have to do is fill the feeders and I'm done.

Well not quite, you see filling the feeders includes rinsing them out. Not that any of this is a big deal or anything. I love doing this for him, but to get my story across you need to understand whats going on.

Grandpa tells me to use the hose to rinse out the feeders. So I turn on the hose and of course the end of the hose is about 30 feet away buried in the flower bed. I walk over and find that it is actually attached to a sprinkler and when I get pretty close to the sprinkler it begins going off.

Grandpa doesnt need to get wet, he is on the porch in his pajamas so I try turning the sprinkler but the water pressure just makes it sling around everywhere and then it completely soaks my pants and shoes. I did manage to keep grandpa from getting wet but I always seem to find a way to turn simple things into a mess.

TV Show Review: Family Matters

2009-08-10T17:00:00.002-05:00

The winslow family as I remember them

I grew up in the 80s & 90s watching shows like Saved By The Bell and Family Matters. I had always enjoyed Family Matters, it was a show that always seemed to entertain me.

Starting sometime earlier this year they began playing reruns on Nick At Night. This really makes me start to feel old considering that when I was growing up shows like I Love Lucy, Dick Van Dyke and Taxi came on that network.

Anyways, thats fine because my younger sister had never really watched Family Matters and despite some of the corny messages they promote. It's a decent show for her to watch, unlike Jon & Kate: Jon's on a Date.

All was well with the Winslow's until last night when I noticed that something was horribly wrong. Carl was making eyes at some woman that was not Harriet. So I figured it was just a dream or something and continued to watch only to hear him call her Harriet. My mouth fell open, a quick search on Google and I learn that they replaced Harriet the last season. I personally think they should have just canceled the show after she left.

However from what I read it appears that the producers didn't want her to get the last laugh. She was not happy with the show and left, but the show continued on for one more season without her and on CBS not ABC. The show just isn't the same without the original Harriet.

Iphone App Review

2009-08-10T14:00:00.001-05:00

Name: MyPhone+ for Facebook

Cost: $2.99

Product Page

http://ultimake.com/myphone/index.html

My Rating: 4/5

I rarely ever spend more than $1.99 on an app, however I thought this was a neat app and it had good reviews so I thought I would give it a shot.

Features

Sync your contacts, pictures and information with Facebook. View contacts' profile picture when they call you and when you call them. It takes one touch to sync your contacts with their latest profile picture and information from Facebook (birthdays, current address, company & job title). Option to sync contact names, high resolution profile pictures and more!

It comes with some options on how your syncing should work and you simply tap on Sync with Facebook and it begins syncing your contacts. It will show you how many matches were found and how many were not. It also can detect possible matches and then you can go through and confirm these. I had 2 or 3, but it confirmed about 92 of my 114 contacts. The rest were some older family members who did not have facebook.

It is really nice to be able to have all of my contact information filled out. Having full contact profiles such as birthdays are useful in other iphone applications. It's also neat to see someone's picture when they are calling but it is even neater because I didn't have to track each of them down to snap a pic.

Day 1

2009-08-10T09:57:00.001-05:00

This is probably the 6th blog I have started in my life. So if I had to guess I would say that a month from now this blog will no longer be updated, or simply cease to exist. I want this to be a place of random thoughts and reviews from things in and around my life. Perhaps you will find it useful, amusing or just downright stupid.

You should probably check out my friend Jacob's blog http://stuffjacoblikes.blogspot.com

If I wanted to do like I have done in the past, I would post something like. I got up, took a shower, drove to work. Worked for a little while, ate breakfast then ate chick-fil-a. Drove back to work, worked a little more, drove to eat lunch at Flipside Cafe. Drove back to work and worked some more and then posted this. But I don't think it will be like that because now I have http://www.twitter.com to post pointless crap to.

Like I said my posts will be pointless so you probably should just hit next blog and never remember http://loganmoore.blogspot.com.

-Logan