Thursday, March 04, 2010

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Thursday, January 01, 2009

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome to 2009 everyone!

Here at the Daily Yak HQ the kids decided we should put off the whole breakfast thing, so we're all sitting around the kitchen table drinking hot cocoa while we play online.

Yeah, I'm raising a bunch of geeks here.... We have 3 laptops set up on the table. The kids are playing Webkinz and some Lego game, while I fiddle around with my blog (it's been so long!) and update Twitter and Facebook.

Happy New Year!!!

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Saturday, August 02, 2008

Burgandy and Gold Invade Canton

Art Monk and Darrell Green were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today. So here's a little something in honor of a couple of great players, and 'Skins fans everywhere:


Yes, I live in Texas now, but I still root for only two football teams... the Washington Redskins and whoever is playing against the Dallas Cowboys!!!

;-)

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This Could Happen to You

Imagine this scene at an airport as you fly back from that blogging conference in the Bahamas:
Man in Black with a Badge: "Excuse me , ma'am, but I need you to give me your laptop."

US Citizen: "I'm sorry?"

MIB: "It's a matter of Homeland Security. Pursuant to DHS regulations, we are detaining your laptop indefinitely. Also, after we look at your personal and business files, we may have to send your computer to one of our corporate partners to analyze any of your encrypted financial or medical data."

US C: "What!?! Am I being accused of a crime? Do you think I'm a terrorist or something?"

MIB: "No, ma'am. Not at this point, at least. Relax, we're the federal government. If you're innocent, you have nothing to worry about."

US C: "But you're keeping my laptop?"

MIB: "Yes, ma'am."

US C: "When will I get it back?"

MIB: "I'm sorry, ma'am, but that's classified."

US C: "I'm so putting this on my blog."

MIB: "What's a blog? We made need to detain it...."
This might seem far fetched, but according to US Department of Homeland Security rules, federal border agents may detain and analyze any computers being carried into the country, regardless of whether the equipment belongs to a US citizen or a foreign national. No reasonable or probable cause is necessary, there is apparently no time limit on how long your property may be held in government custody, and the agents may transfer your property to other agencies and/or private entities. Oh, and the rule doesn't just cover laptops, but any device that is capable of storing data - iPods, cell phones, flash drives, etc....

Seriously! I'm not making this up! All I have to say is, to quote Ben Franklin:
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.
Wake up America!

Hat Tip: amuse
Filed Under: Geeky Yak; Political Yak
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Friday, August 01, 2008

Noriega Holds Online Townhall This Afternoon

FYI - US Senate candidate Rick Noriega is holding a live, online townhall meeting this afternoon at 1:30pm CDT.

Update: Well, looks like there were a few bugs in Noriega's first virtual townhall. Some of the comments in the chat were pretty funny though. He'll be in Austin next week - in person, not a virtual campaign stop.

Filed Under: Political Yak
Hat Tip: Postcards from the Lege (via Twitter)
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A Bit More of Harry's World

Hey, Harry Potter fans!

I just noticed that J.K. Rowling's book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, is finally available for pre-order on Amazon!

The book is a collection of fairy tales from the wizarding world of Harry Potter, complete with introductions and commentary on each by Professor Albus Dumbledore. Rowling is donating her proceeds to charity.

Good stuff!

Filed Under: Bookworm Yak
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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Would You Vote for a Computer Illiterate President?

Anna Quindlen has an interesting column in next week's Newsweek magazine, entitled The Techie in Chief. She draws some historical references to President Abraham Lincoln's understanding and use of cutting-edge technology (specifically, the telegraph) during the Civil War. She throws in a comment form the National Security Agency following 9/11, that the US is "behind the curve in keeping up with the global telecommunications revolution"and then poses a fascinating question:
The terrorists have laptops in their hideouts. Can America afford to have a leader who is just learning how to use one?
Senator John McCain admits that he doesn't use email, doesn't go online and is computer illiterate. I'm sure he has aides that are quite adept with their Blackberries and such, but beyond that does he have a firm grasp on the transformative nature of current tech? Does he understand the cultural, economic, and yes, security, issues inherent in such a broad-based communications mediums as the Internet?

Experience, at least in part, shapes our understanding. Our world is changing. Would McCain be at a disadvantage in some future situation because he doesn't have that personal experience and depth of knowledge of tech? Perhaps.... It's something I'll have to cogitate on. What do you think?

Filed Under: Geeky Yak; Political Yak
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A Word Game By Any Other Name

Scrabulous has been resurrected, sort of.... It's been redesigned (with a number of changes) and it's name has changed to Wordscraper, but it's back.

If your not familiar with Scrabulous, it was an online application/game based on Scrabble that was wildly popular on the Facebook social networking site. The game was blocked on Facebook a couple days ago due to a lawsuit filed by Hasbro, which owns the US/Canadian rights to the classic board game.

Filed Under: Geeky Yak
Hat Tip:
Austin360 (via Twitter)
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That's Grand Master Stainless Steel Rat to You!

Hey, I just found out that Harry Harrison is going to be name a Grand Master of Science Fiction this year! Cool!

Filed Under: Geeky Yak
Hat Tip:
Whatever
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I Ain't Gettin On No Plane!

I'm working at the computer in our game room. My wife is down the hall in our bedroom on her computer. We had this exchange a few minutes ago:

DW: "I just got an expense report for an A-Team meeting, but I don't know whose it is."

Me: "I pity the fool who loses his expense report."

It's the little things in life that amuse me.... ;-)

Filed Under: Geeky Yak
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Space Ships?!?

I haven't blogged much lately (in case you didn't notice), but I decided to take a peek at my stats just to see how pitiful they've become. Amazingly, Daily Yak still averages 12 hits a day. Lesson to new bloggers: this is what happens when you don't post regularly!

Just for a kick I looked at my search engine referrals and the number one search term used to find this blog is - "space ships" Huh?!?

Filed Under: Geeky Yak
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A Google Killer?

Eh, probably not (at least, not yet). Still, Cuil is pretty cool. I like the layout of the search results (though they could put more on a page), and they get props for not tracking the search terms I use. This Netiquette column sums things up pretty well....

Filed Under: Geeky Yak
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Hicthing A Ride with the School Board

I spent last weekend attending the Texas PTA Summer Leadership Conference at the Austin Convention Center. Nearly 4000 people attended, participating in hundreds of workshops on topics ranging from nutrition to PTA tax filings.

I focused on a program presented by Strong Fathers for increasing dads' participation in schools. Some good stuff!

Saturday evening I ended up getting a ride back to Round Rock with Chad Chadwell, the newly-appointed member of the Round Rock ISD Board of Trustees. We had a pleasant talk during the 40-minute ride, discussing how and why he became involved in the school system's bond study committee and was eventually selected to serve out former trustee Diana Maldonado's term on the school board.

With two kids in elementary school, I look forward to meeting with him again, and the other school board members, as I get more involved in the local political scene.

Oh, and thanks again for the ride, Mr. Chadwell!

Filed Under: Political Yak
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Can You Hear Me Now?

Blogging hasn't been a priority lately (life happens), but as I glance through my recent stats I get this wistful feeling... thinking back to a year or two ago when Political Yak had a fair draw, for a local political site. It even rated as one of the top ten political blogs in Maryland.

We've come a long way, baby.... Just not in the right direction, blogging-wise.

Some people feel blogging may be in decline, but I can't help but feel that there is still a niche to be filled by smaller, local sites. Especially when it comes to politics.

I left my comfort zone (in more ways than one) when my family was transplanted from suburban Maryland (my home for 20+ years) to Texas a little over a year ago. Texas politics is definitely different! The most obvious difference is the dominant party affiliations, but beyond that, the actual political and governmental structures are also whole other animal. I'm still trying to get to know my way around, politically speaking (geographically, too).

Texas has a lot of wide open spaces... room enough for a Texas version of the Political Yak? If you've just stumbled across my little corner of the blogosphere, what would you like to see from a Round Rock-based political blog?

Filed Under: Political Yak
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Monday, June 30, 2008

Joss Whedon's Master Plan



Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo.

A free, online film by Joss Whedon starring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day....

{insert silly geek grin here}

Cool!

Hat Tip: Wil Wheaton
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Saturday, June 28, 2008

Mmmmm! Beer... Cars!



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Friday, June 13, 2008

Dancing with the Star Wars Stars

A little Friday night funny....

Hat Tip: A Family Runs Through It
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Eureka!

"Scientists have located the exact center of the Internet."

Hat Tip: Clicked
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Thursday, June 05, 2008

Would You Like Jelly with That?

Hah! Another reason I don't particularly care to swim in the ocean. Thanks, but I'll stick to my nice clean er... well, at least, jellyfish-free neighborhood swimming pool.

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Tuesday, June 03, 2008

My Frugalness is Conflicted

I just saw an interesting article on extreme frugal living. I'm intrigued by those who manage to simplify their lives so much while still maintaining an acceptable standard of living, and... well... still being happy.

I agree that rampant consumerism is a problem in our society. However, I still like the comforts my current lifestyle provides. Am I willing to change my shopping habits and sacrifice (or at least modify) some of the niceties I've come to expect in my life?

That's a tough question.

I have Dumpster dived (though not for food) and pulled stuff out of the neighbors' garbage the night before trash day. Sometimes I found things for my own use, sometimes something to sell (there was a time I made a living through garage sales, swap meets, flea markets and the like). That was all pre-wife and kids though.

A couple years ago I announced that from then on I would buy all my clothes second-hand at thrift shops or on eBay. I'm a stay-at-home dad, so it's not like I really need the latest fashions. That lasted less than a year, when I discovered that it wasn't easy to find things in my size and that I really did need to dress up on occasion. Still, I think I could probably handle the second-hand clothes thing if I tried harder.

Then there's all the other stuff I buy: books, DVDs, books, food, books, household items, books, stuff for the kids, more books....

Could I really be more frugal about those purchases? I'd certainly like to be, especially with all the rising costs in other areas (like gas). Hmmm. Maybe I could cut down on that stuff.... Well, except the books. ;-) How about you?

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Monday, June 02, 2008

School's Out!

Last Friday was the kids last day of school. Did you here the roar of freedom as the last bell sounded?

It conjured up memories of summers past when my brother, sister and I were finally out of school. We, or at least I, spent a lot of time planning adventures of various sorts - tree forts to build, treasures to seek, games to play and worlds to invent.... The planning and inventing was almost the best part for me (along with all the books to read).

Now, I watch as my kids begin to make their own plans for summer adventure. They've taken over the storage closet under our stairs and are planning to turn it into a haunted club house (I'm not sure where the Christmas decorations are going to go in the mean time). My daughter and one of her friends have decided to stage a play. They want to go camping and bike riding (I better get myself a bike). And we're reading the Chronicles of Narnia together as a family.

LOL! I still love summer vacation!

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Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Zoe's Tale Up for Grabs

John Scalzi, one of my favorite authors (and favorite bloggers) is auctioning off an extremely limited edition, signed, bound manuscript of his upcoming book, Zoe's Tale. Being the neat guy he is, he's donating all of the proceeds to the Disabled American Veteran’s Charitable Service Trust.

It's up on eBay with a current bid (at least as I type this) of... $2,025.01!!!

Unfortunately, that's just a wee bit out of my price range. Ahem.... But, hey, if your flush and you like good scifi, check it out!

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