WolframAlpha

The latest new Web toy I'm playing around with. You really should check it out. Here's the home page http://www92.wolframalpha.com/

and a 13 minute screencast introduction

Screencast: A Quick Introduction to WolframAlpha by Stephen Wolfram:
http://www.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html

REALLY, REALLY COOL!!!

Simpler Times

I was listening to a satellite radio talk show this morning on the drive into work. People were calling in about what they (baby boomers) remembered most growing up. I had tears in my eyes from some of the things people were calling in with. It's amazing the similarities no matter what part of the country they grew up in. Here's a few of mine:

Being home by the time the streetlights came on
Playing in the apricot orchards
Picking bouquets of mustard flowers for Mom

Riding bikes with playing cards rubbing the spokes, attached with a clothespin

Fizzies
Kool aide popsicles

Sitting in from of the TV with a mixing bowl of cereal watching cartoons on Saturday

Captain Kangaroo
The Mickey Mouse Club
“Combat” (with Vic Morrow)
Leave it to Beaver
Sunday drives
Family dinners at Nanny & Pop-Pop’s
Penny candy
Double features at the movies
Drive-ins
Red light, Green light, Hide n Seek, Simon Says
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Swanson’s chicken pot pies
Hillbilly bread
TV dinners
Summer road trips
The County Fair
Lemon aide stands
Slurpees
Pet turtles
The Kid’s Table
Root beer floats
Playing Army men
Cowboys & Indians
Home movies
Going to bed when it was still light outside
The Ice Cream man
Doughboy swimming pools
Spaghetti night!
The Woolworth’s lunch counter
Gordo, Able, Miss Baker, Sam, Miss Sam, Goliath & Scatback
New shoes for the first day of school

I'm a Proud Californian Today

Yesterday voters gave Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California "Do Nothing" Legislature a swift thwack upside their collective heads by soundly defeating Props 1A-1E. Finally, fed up and no longer willing to “just open your wallet and shut your mouth," 19% of California voters did the right thing and just said NO MORE. Not one more dime, fix it with what you have. We've had to make do with less, now it's YOUR turn.

True, this defeat will now push the California State budget to a $21.3 billion deficit and tens of thousands of teachers, police & firefighters, state employees (including myself) will/may be furloughed or laid off, and money taken (back) from local governments. Public education is going to suffer. Mental health services is going to suffer. All public safety services are going to suffer.

It's gonna hurt BIG TIME folks, and we ain't seen NOTHING yet.

"Tonight we have heard from the voters and I respect the will of the people who are frustrated with the dysfunction in our budget system," the governor said in a statement. "Now we must move forward from this point to begin to address our fiscal crisis with constructive solutions."

Guess you're going to have to start doing the job we're paying you for BIG GUY... and just put a steak over that black eye while you're at it.

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Here's where I'm off to http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/vi/vi_events/cooking/default.asp

Lots of good food, wine, the ocean breezes . . . life doesn't get any better than this!

OK, OK, my goal is to get my picture taken with Alton Brown (we're staying in the same hotel) so I'M SURE we'll meet in an elevator - or the bar - at some point.

See ya'll on Monday!!!