The Scientists Are Excited

The End.

2006-08-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start using Wordpress now.

If you were enjoying reading this blog up until now, you will have to go to lukeES.com to continue enjoying it from now on. cya there...

The Office Values.

2006-08-20T12:34:00.000-07:00

I miss The Office--the UK one--it is one of my top three favourite TV shows of all time (Home Movies and South Park are the other two). I can see why it ended though; it would be hard to keep David Brent funny forever w/o having him become to predictable and repetitive.

Thankfully, I stumbled across these two 20min videos (w/ out takes) of the great Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant performing a sketch where Stephen is interviewing David Brent (the actual character from The Office) for a managerial job at Microsoft.

[THE FIRST VIDEO] [THE SECOND VIDEO]

Want Five Bucks?

2006-08-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

I recieved the following email from a friend of mine:

No, this is not about eating babies… and if you didn’t get that joke, disregard my opening statement.

Anyway, I’m starting up a small business soon, and everyone reading this e-mail can make some extra money by contributing to this project. You also won’t really have to do much at all… or even leave your house. So, I’d appreciate it if you would at least take a minute to read my full explanation.

I’ll explain what this business actually does first:

The primary purpose of this company will be to help smaller businesses attract more customers, specifically, younger customers. A client would have his business profiled, a process involving a photo-record of the store and an interview with the client. The point of the interview is to establish what sort of image this client believes he has made for his business, and to get a feel for what his current strategies are for attracting more customers.

A profile of the client’s business will then be compiled using the photos and interview mentioned, and a fairly detailed questionnaire will be tailored from it. This profile (which now includes the questionnaire) will be sent to a large focus group which fits the age range of around 18-25. Once the questionnaires have been returned, they will be compiled into a single analysis of the company. I will then add my own assessment regarding any major trends in the answers submitted, and ideally create some sort of chart outlining various approval ratings. The analysis will then be presented to the client so that he can make adjustments to his image and/or marketing strategy.

The questionnaire will be designed to encourage participants to comment on whether or not the client’s assessment of his own image is accurate, how appealing said image is, and what specific aspects of it are, or are not, attractive. Participants will also be asked to comment on the look of the store itself, with emphasis on their first impressions with the store front, and what caught their eye.

… still with me?

Hopefully you have figured out that I need you to be one of the participants in the focus group, and that your job will be to answer questionnaires that I send out via e-mail. Your personal opinion will be all that matters. You will not have to research anything, or, as I said, even go outside. I also intend to compensate you with five dollars per questionnaire filled out, so if this actually gets any momentum, you should be getting at least a few of those.

I intend to launch this business in early September, but I will need a response from you by August 27th, preferably. Simply responding with a “No thanks” or “I’m in” via e-mail is sufficient. Thanks for actually reading all this, and if you want to forward this to anyone else in the age range mentioned (18-25, roughly), feel free. The more people we have, the better our chances.

So, if you feel like helpin' a guy out and have some time to spare you can send him an email.

Sync iCal For FREE.

2006-08-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Oh how I wish .Mac was a free service. It will soon have to, what with all these web services sprouting up on the daily. But until then, I have found a way to mimic part of the .Mac service: syncing calendars between Macs.

This method is not a NEW idea, but rather, a way to make it just that much easier. A calendar in iCal can either be published to a .Mac account or to a private server. What is not spelled out, is that that private server must have WebDave support. GoDaddy, with whom I purchased my domain and hosting plan from, does not have WebDav support, along with many other server landlords.

There is one hosting provider that is often overlooked; this is most likely because it is not really a hosting provider. That service is BOX.NET

Box.net offers severl different online storage plans, ranging from 1GB for free to 15GB for $10/mo. One thing they don't advertise, for obvious reasons: it's boring, is that their servers support WebDav. This means that, if you sign up for a 1GB free account, you can publish and subscribe your calendars in iCal for free.

The following set of screenshots/instructions walk you through how to set this all up after you have signed up for a free Box.net storage plan...

Open iCal; right click on the calendar you want to share and select Publish...

Select 'a Private Server' from the 'Publish on' drop-down menu.

Enter in the box.net URL and the appropriate credentials.

Click on the 'Publish' button.

Now you can subscribe (read-only) to this calendar from any other Mac...

Right click in the calendar pane and select 'Subscribe...'

Type in the URL of your published calendar and press the 'Subscribe' button.

Choose a name for this calendar and press 'OK'.

The newly subscribed calendar will now appear in the calendar pane.

The one catch, however, is that you can only edit the published calendar from the machine that publishes it. If you would rather have a calendar that can be edited from anywhere and subscribed to from anywhere, then you should look into Google Calendar; the catch there is, ToDo lists cannot be created with the Google Calendars, and the calendars can only be edit online.

Awesome.

2006-08-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

A Lack of Food: Chapter Two.

2006-08-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

The diet began on July 25; it has been 19 days since then.

If there is one thing I have learned over the course of these days, it is this: there is sugar in everything.

I went grocery shopping with my father--he’s on a diet similar to mine--and found that I really couldn’t eat anything else other than organic vegetables and freshly downed beast. My dad and I went to a more organic/healthy-centric grocery store and were unable to find a single can of tomato soup w/o sugar. In fact, the only can of soup that we were allowed to consume was titled, ‘Pea and Smoked Ham’, and even then, it had some kind of gluton in it, which we are not allowed on this diet.

You can forget ANY kind of juice too. Even Happy Planet contains some form of sugar; they probably disguised it with a term like “Cane Juice”; guess which cane they are referring to. There are many juices that advertise “NO SUGAR ADDED”, of course if you read the ingredients you will see that they use some kind of “concentrate” to create the incredibly sweet flavour. It’s such a sad state of affairs...

I have, however, found a couple saviors amongst all these treacherous foods:

1) The Peanut Butter Spoon: This is a coveted treat held by my family over many years, and it turns out that the kind of peanut butter I prefer has the following ingredients: Peanuts, Salt. Notice the lack of quadroHydrogenUctoseAted CarboFatenathos? That’s right; I am completely allowed to eat this.

2) Cheddar/Mozza Flavoured Loaf: I opted in for the No-Dairy diet alongside my No-Simple-Sugars diet and so had to say goodbye to the lifeblood of North American cuisine: cheese. However, the soybean has pretty much covered this base, offering me, and others, cheese-flavoured soy “loafs”. They taste pretty good, feel the same as regular cheese, and can even be grated, but the best way to hide the absence-of-cow-influence is to melt it.

I should also state that I’m not feeling that much better; I’m still tired.

Freaky Outtie.

2006-08-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

Are you a fan of Adult Swim's cancelled gem, Home Movies? If you are, you will appreciate THIS web page...

My Goodness.

2006-08-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

Check out this iPod accessory reviewed on IGN.

Mice.

2006-08-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have started playing LAN StarCraft matches with two of my friends. This usually involves us sitting around the living room of one of our homes with our MacBooks. Unfortunately, this also means gaming in our lap with absolute no table space. Ignoring the pool of sweat beneath our scolding thighs, the only gripe with this situation is trying to use my tethered Mighty Mouse between the inches of space between my thigh and the couch arm-rest.

When Apple announced the bluetooth version of the Mighty Mouse, I suddenly fealt compelled to scoop one up. Fortunately it had a 2 - 3 week wait for shipping, so I had time to convince myself that I didn’t need anymore white in my life. However, I still liked the idea of a bluetooth mouse; you can’t get anymore wireless than that: no dongles; just a mouse and a MacBook. There’s something very pure about that. Not only do I like the idea of a purely wireless mouse, but I also like the idea of orchestrating an explosion of Zerg blood with mouse-in-hand resting comfortably on the armrest of my buddy’s sofa.

It was then that I decided to seek out the most ideal bluetooth mouse for my situation. I looked long and hard and was able to find only a few, including the childishly named Mighty Mouse:


BT600 Wireless Mouse	Mighty Mouse	The Mouse BT II
Optical 800dpi Tracking 5 Button Control Vertical Scroll Wheel 2 AAA NiHM Rechargeable Batteries (USB Charging)	Laser 2000dpi Tracking 4 Button Control 360 Degree Scroll Ball 1 or 2 AA Batteries	Optical 800dpi Tracking 2 Button Control Vertical Scroll Wheel 2 AAA NiHM Rechargeable Batteries (USB Charging)
$59.95us	$69.00us	$69.99us

Before I lead you to the obvious (if you know me) conclusion, I have to point out that with Apple's education discount, the Mighty Mouse costs about $63us ($71cad) and is shipped for free. With that in mind, the cheapest mouse for me to acquire was the Mighty Mouse (I would have to ship any of these three mice to my home). It also had the highest dpi, allowing for much more precise tracking on many more surfaces than the other two mice (something a nomadic notebook user would find very important). The scroll ball is also my favourite scroll device ever. This does not mean that I didn't give the other two mice a change; I really liked how the BT600 could be used as a USB mouse while charge, however, I have a track-pad and therefore don't really require this feature (if I were using it with the MacMini it would be an incredibly valuable feature). The Mouse BT II, however, really didn't have any stand out feature over the two other mice, other than its steeper price tag, so there was no way I was going to choose that one. In the end, I--obviously--chose the MightMouse and have since ordered it.

A Lack of Food: Chapter One.

2006-07-31T22:10:00.000-07:00

One week ago I embarked on a 30 day fast-from-anything-I-enjoy-eating to determine whether or not I am hypoglycemic and/or am the victim of a dairy allergy.

It started four years ago when I began my descent into perpetual fatigue-in-the-head. This resulted with a lack of motivation towards anything physical and the beginning of my addiction to the interweb. I would come home after school and go on my computer where I would eat my dinner, do my homework, socialize with what friends I had, entertain myself, relieve myself, and eventually would leave to rock me to sleep with a playlist of TV re-runs.

It wasn’t as bad as it sounds; I was able to motivate myself to perform some sort of physical activity at least 3 times a week. In fact, I was nick-named “The Running Boy” after I had spent years running laps around the fields after school. So, as you can see, this fatigue-in-the-head was not the least bit debilitating; it was just an annoyance that kept me from being able to fully focus in class and pulled a wet blanket over my reputation.

Naturally, my parents had heard me complain about this fatigue over the years and even asked me to go see my doctor about it; he said I was a “healthy young boy”. So last monday I saw a Naturopathic Physician; yes, he is a doctor.

Dr. Kevin Jackson probably asked me more than a hundred questions regarding my lifestyle; this included everything from what I usually snack on, to how often I take make a trip to the john. At the end of our 1h30 meeting he suggested two probable causes for my fatigue: 1) I am hypoglycemic 2) I have an dairy allergy.

He suggested that I go an a special NO-SUGAR diet for 30 days, and, if I wanted, add dairy products to my list of no-no’s. Since there was no way I was going to go 2 months without at least one of my favourite food groups, I accepted his challenge...

The SexBook: Keyboard.

2006-07-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

The keyboard is a complete change from the PowerBook’s; the buttons have very large gaps (large in the keys’ eyes) between them, but by no means is this a bad thing. It took me about 10min to get completely used to the new layout and have been in heaven ever since. These keys are really easy on my fingertips. It’s a pleasure to type on them; I’m looking forward to writing essays in the fall.

Another noticeable change is how the entire keyboard has been lowered into the case; the keys no longer rest flush against the screen when closed, like all other Apple notebooks. This is not a huge deal for me, but for many, it means they no longer have to worry about the keyboard leaving marks on the screen.

Besides the above noted changes, the keyboard is essentially the same as the iBook’s.

The SexBook: Intro.

2006-07-13T22:26:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I just replaced my 12" PowerBook G4 with a brand new iPod-white MacBook. I love it; my girlfriend, Kaylee, would probably say I love it more than her. So I have decided to write a series of articles discussing certrain aspects of the MacBook until the initial obsession is out of my system...

Before I start writing about ma MacBook, I thought I'd explain why I bothered upgrading: It's simple...

I only needed to spend $300 to upgrade to the better-in-every-way (except video processing) MacBook: [$1700 MacBook] - [$1200 for sold PowerBook + Extras] - [$200 for sold free 2GB Nano] = $300

Before I even thought about getting the MacBook, I had planned on purchasing a 1GB stick of ram and AppleCare before my initial 1 year ran out; this would have cost me around $450. So it turns out that it was actually a better deal to upgrade to the MacBook.

Twelve Hundred in Twenty's.

2006-07-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I sold my Powerbook to a nervous Seaman for $1200cad; I have completely paid off my MacBook and Mac Mini.

Ali Mohammad.

2006-07-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I have been spending the last few weeks trying to sell my PowerBook G4 along with some maccessories I aquired for it during the last year. I posted an ad on the ehMac.ca classifies (THE Canadian Mac forum), UsedMac.com, Craigs List, and UsedVictoria.com; I also posted a few paper ads around my university.

My goodness. I recieved some pretty incredible emails from people attempting to SCAM my Powerbook off of me for little or no money. I believe these were mostly the result of my ad on Craigslist, since it is a high volume online Garage Sale website; a perfect price for scammers to spend their time. Many of these scammers required I accept a Western Union money transfer for the full amount I requested; they even offered to send my a FedEx package that I could use to send them my product, free of charge.

Naturally, their link to Western Union leads you to some run-down, animated-gif, mid-90s, waste-of-hyperlinks website that looks nothing like the Wester Union home page. Me, being the clever-lad that I am, was not fooled and replied to those emails with accusations of fraud and distrust. They ceased to send me emails afterwards; if only I could rid my inbox of SPAM so easily.

Below is an email thread between me and one such suspected scammer...

	Luke Seeley Email	Ali Mohammad Email
Your Name: ali mohammad Your Email: i.ali.mohammad@gmail.com Best Offer: $$ Address toronto Comments: do you still have this power book?
Yes I do. Are you interested?
yes i am interested, could you please tell me how old is your power book and about the memory, hard drive and speed of processor and if it has combo or super drive, just to refresh my memory, i have tons of software so don't worry about the software and yeah one more thing, where are you? i am in toronto, and if you are in montreal, if i like it, pick can be arrange. thanks for replying ali
I have specs posted at lukees.com/pb I live in Victoria, BC.
i like your power book, price is ok but i wanted to see it before i buy it, i am a graphic designer, i made some errors last year and defaulted my loan with the bank and bank repossessed all my equipments, the money i have right now for the note book, is my last hope to start my life, this note book will be my tool to earn my bread n butter, so i have to see it before i give my last dollars ... hope that you will understand my point, i thought that you are in ottawa or in montreal, for this type of note book, i can hitch hike to go there and have a look at it and make the transaction. ali
Hitchhiking from Toronto to Victoria (across Canada) seems like far too much effort to check out a laptop, especially when you could easily find someone selling one in Toronto (check out the classifieds section on ehmac.ca). Your story and idea to hitch hike to me is very suspicious. I don't think that someone who needs a laptop to live would hitchhike accross Canada to check one out when, if he were to apply himself, could find one in Toronto. This is why I don't trust you.
i thought that you are in ottawa or in montreal, for this type of note book, i can hitch hike to go there and have a look at it and make the transaction
you need to read your emails more carefully!
I can read just fine. What is it you want to do about my powerbook?
if you can read my email, i clear said that i had thought that you are either in ottawa or in montreal and i can hitch hike to come there to see it and then pay for it. BC is out of question, but i really like your power book, your power book remind me my 12 inch power book, which was repossessed by the bank. if i can see you power book, most probably i will buy and pay you $1300. ali
I read your email just fine; you can't see my powerbook unless you come to me to see it, which you obviously won't do (I wouldn't do it either). I can read well; it's your lack of correct english grammar and your situation that makes you confusing.

Need A Laptop?

2006-06-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

I know I posted about the lil' website I created (with RapidWeaver) to help promote the Powerbook+Extras I'm trying to sell, but I have since taken more pictures and jazzed up the site a bit.

CHECK IT OUT

White.

2006-06-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

Apple owns white. It is the one company that can honestly say it owns a colour; think about it. When you first saw the XBox 360 (I can only assume the “X” stands for “eXtreme), I’m sure one of your first thoughts was ”ppphhhhtttt ... they ripped off Apple“. In some respects, you’d be right. Electronics have always typically been plagued with dark grey-tones, save obvious colourful highlights and Nintendo consoles. It wasn’t until the iPod became mass-market that companies realized that electronics didn’t have to be black or grey to be taken seriously.

Ever since then, you can watch as companies slowly and stealthily add white to their palette. Even Apple ditched a lot of grey and colour to focus primarily on white; the original iMacs where VERY colourful and later became known as the eMac (bottom left-hand corner of image), clocked entirely in white (they have since been discontinued). You will also notice that Dell’s new line of Inspiron laptops (top right-hand corner of image) feature a white bevel around the screen. Obviously, not just computer manufacturers have adopted the ”white way of life“; many electronics manufacturers have released white MP3 players and cellphones. Take a look at the recently released Creative Zen Vision M (lower left side of image); I don’t have to say anything, we’re all thinking the same thing.

You may have also noticed that Nintendo, the underdog of the home console arena, has adopted the colour white for their recently-released (and purchased by yours truly) DS Lite (middle of right side of image) and up-coming GameCube-successor, Wii (top left-hand corner of image).

But can Apple really own a colour? Well, legally and realistically, no, but as far as our society is considered, they pretty much do. If I were to show you my DS Lite, the first thing out of your mouth would be ”Is that the new iPod?“. It’s unfair for other electronics manufacturers, but it’s true; Apple owns white.

Darth Barkley.

2006-06-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

MACS ARE EXPENSIVE.

2006-06-08T22:46:00.000-07:00

It is the general concensus that Macs are more expensive than PCs. Naturally, most of us believe this without thinking about; why would we bother to question such an accusation? 95% of us use Windows anyways; it's not worth our time to delve into such research. I, however, found that it was worth my time. The research that I did was simply into the comparison of the most modern Apple notebook and the most modern Dell notebook; I will not compare a Mac to a discounted wholesale notebook.

It turns out that depending on how you value certain hardware components and software applications, you may find that a Mac can be a better deal than a Dell. To prove such a statement, I spent too much time creating the table below, which compares two very similar notebooks: an Apple MacBook and a Dell Inspiron. I should note that I calculated the final prices by customizing each notebook at its respective company's online Canadian store.

	VS
Apple MacBook	Model	Dell Inspiron 640m
Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger)	OS	Windows XP Home (SP2)
2.0GHz Intel Core Duo	Processor	2.0GHz Intel Core Duo
1GB 667mhz DDR2 SDRAM	Memory	1GB 667mhz DDR2 SDRAM
80GB SATA	Hard Disk	80GB SATA
64MB Intel Integrated	Video Card	64MB Intel Integrated
13.3" Glossy [1280 x 800]	Screen	14.1" Glossy [1440 x 900]
DVD±RW/CD-RW [SLOT]	Disc Drive	DVD±RW/CD-RW [TRAY]
Wi-Fi (802.11g)	Wireless	Wi-Fi (802.11g)
1 Year	Warranty	1 Year
iLife 2006 Front Row	Software	WordPerfect
Integrated iSight Bluetooth 2.0+EDR 1 Firewire 400 Ports 2 USB 2.0 Ports Mini-DVI Port Built-in Mic Apple Remote	Other	Exterior Media Controls RJ11 Modem port S-Video 4 USB 2.0 Ports Monitor Port 5-in-1 Card Reader
$1,629	Price	$1,779

So it looks like, if you can pass up on a modem, a few USB ports, and a few hundred pixels of scren size, you will get a (somewhat) cheaper machine that not only has so much more included (and useful) software, but is also hugely attractive. I could have upped the Dell's price and included Windows Media Center edition and a 40-button remote, but that would make the Dell seem too much more more expensive. And the point of this article is not to reach a conclusion that Macs are cheaper than PCs, because they aren't.

The question is really about which is a better deal. Price does play a big part, but so does the OS, the software, the specs, and the special hardware features. How can you even compare the value of Windows and Mac OS X. While OS X is much, much cheaper than Windows XP (and do you compare it to Professional or Media Center Edition?) it could be argued that Windows is more feature-rich. Also, how much do you value a virus-free world, not having to purchase Norton or McFae? There's really no way to honestly state which is a better deal. If you knew me, you'd know I would argue ('till I die) that the MacBook is a better deal, but my values obviously differ from yours.

The point of this post is not to declare a winner, but rather, to point out that the cultural consensus that PCs are a much better deal than Macs is not the case.

A Great Movie Title.

2006-05-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

I love monster movies, but I have never heard a monster movie with as great a title as this one.

My Ad.

2006-05-22T21:44:00.000-07:00

I restrained myself from posting about the new MacBook (see image) that has consumed most of my web-surfing over the past week. I have been going back and forth on the decision to sell my powerbook to buy a shiny new white MacBook. I finally decided to try and sell and see how much I could get for it. If I can get $1400 for it, then it means I only need to spend an additionally to get an upgraded (RAM and HD) white MacBook. This is essentially the same amount of money I was about to spend on a gig stick of RAM for my powerbook. So instead of getting RAM, I could possibly get an entirely better (except for graphics processing) notebook. Anyways...I posted an ad on ehmac.ca's classified. However, I went above and beyond and created a movie and website to advertise my powerbook.

The Greatest Man I Ever Did Meet.

2006-05-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

This summer, I am working at the Computer Help Desk at my university (The University of Victoria) for my first Co-op work term. My work includes answering phone calls, emails, and personal visits from the staff, faculty, and students of UVic, all of whom come to us with all sorts of computer issues.

One such faculty member phoned me on Monday to let me know he would be switching offices on Thursday and that he may need help setting up his computer in his new office. On Thursday morning, one of my fellow employees received his call; he asked for me and told me that he would be moving to his new office in a few hours and that he may phone for assistance. His behavior reminded me a lot of my parents: they assume they do not know how to do anything technology-related and always call upon me for assistance for even the most simple of tasks.

A few hours later, I was chatting with an employee in the back room when I was called to the front desk; THE GUY was standing there, waiting for me. He told me that he was moving to his new office now and would like me to set up his computer. I agreed and met him at his new office, a few floors above. It turned out that he had one of the simplest computers to set up: a Mac. To be more precise, he had a Blue G3 iMac (they were later painted all white and called eMacs and have since been retired). Within a few minutes it was set up; all I had to do was plug both the power adapter and ethernet cable into the wall and plug the keyboard (with the mouse plugged into it) into the eMac. I then booted it up to make sure it was in fact connected to the internet; it was.

So why is this at all worth writing about? Well before I left, the following conversation transpired:

THE GUY: Would it be okay if I brought some chocolate down to the help desk for you?
ME: yeah.
THE GUY: Do you like chocolate?
ME: Definitely, I eat it all the time (I was smiling of course).
THE GUY: I would have brought you some alcohol, but I’d get in trouble.
ME: Yeah...probably.
THE GUY: I would bring down a case of beer otherwise.
ME: (I made some awkward laugh + comment combo I’m sure)

Well, this morning, he came by with a small bag from Shoppers Drugmart. It was filled with 4 specialty chocolate bars. This man is the nicest guy I have ever met. He was so kind and pleasant throughout all my conversations with him. He actually went out of his way to pay me back for the small (to me at least) service I provided for him. Not only did he act nice, he even had the nicest voice and demeanor about him as well. This guy was a saint; he would not hurt a fly. The point of this post? I met the nicest guy and got so much fucking chocolate.

Album Review 003: Stretched out with soldiers

2006-05-17T21:21:00.000-07:00

Featured Album

Album

We Don't Need To Whisper

Band

Angels & Airwaves

Release Date

May 23, 2006

Score

Featured Track

Start The Machine

The Track Listing
1. Valkyrie Missle 2. Distraction 3. Do It for Me Now 4. Adventure 5. Little's Enough	6. The War 7. The Gift 8. It Hurts 9. Good Day 10. Start the Machine

The Back Story

Last year, Blink 182 officially went on hiatus, giving birth to two new bands: Plus 44, made up of Mark Hoppus (bassist) and Travis Barker (drummer), and Angels & Airwaves, formed by Tom DeLonge + friends. Only one track has been released to the public from Plus 44 and it is very underwhelming. A&A, on the other hand, are about to release their debut album next tuesday having had an incredible teaser site over the last few months with a blockbuster-esque album trailer and a music video and single released already. It’s obvious Tom has a lot more initiative when it comes to creating music. He and Travis even formed a band, Boxcar Racer, a few years ago, creating a very popular and solid album. I’m well aware how obvious it is that I downloaded this album ahead of schedule; however, I like it so much that I’ll definitely be picking it up at HMV after it’s released next week. I recommend you do the same.

The Album

This album is better than every Blink 182 album. It is better than Boxcar Racer’s single album. Each track on this album is twice as good as Plus 44’s single released song. This is Tom DeLonge’s greatest musical achievement since the Dammit riff.

The album has this intensely epic undertone throughout every song. Part of the reason for this is the way the songs all begin with long, mellow, and eerily profound intros that lead up into equally moody verses. The songs also don’t seem to fall into the habit that so many bands have where the choruses completely overpower the much more interesting and quieter verses; this gives the album a very mature and somewhat-tense sound. The epic sound can also be attributed to the military-esque percussion; the backbone of the entire album.

The one thing you will notice after listening to the entire album start-to-finish, is that there is no obvious single or slow song. Each song seems to keep up a similar pace as the last, never forgetting that it is part of a whole; a story. This album definitely seems to be somewhat of a Rock Play. If I did not spend too much time looking at endless images of and reading forum threads about the new MacBook, I would put more time into finding out exactly what journey this album takes us on.

The overall sound, though very unique, is not a surprising one. It has many similarities with the Tom-driven songs of Blink 182’s last album as well as the Boxcar Racer album. This sound is, like I’ve said, very solid, mature, and deep. This is not some radio-punk album, though you can bet you will hear these guys on the radio.

If it weren’t for a few songs that I felt sounded a little too much like filler tracks, I would have given this album five full heart containers.

My Dog and I.

2006-05-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to find the following note on my kitchen counter:

Ma Bod 001: The Rogue Toe

2006-05-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is my right foot. Notice anything weird about it? Anything out-of-the-ordinary? No, not the sparse trail of hair from the base of my ankle to my biggie toe; that is very common. Give up? Check out my baby toe; see how it shys away from the camera? Well for some reason it has always been like that; it has always lay beneath the shadow of its more-proud neighbor (whatever that toe is called ... if my foot were a hand, that toe would be called the ring toe I think). Why does it shy away like that? Perhaps it is modest; unlike its neighbors (excluding the big toe), it can be moved independently from the rest of the pack.

My buddy, Kula, always used to comment about my toe; not the shy baby one, but the one to its left. One day, he coined a pet name for it: The Rogue Toe. He noticed how it was always positioned slightly above all my other toes. Like a rogue warrior, off causing mayhem on its own, my rogue toe rose above the other toes, just enough for Kula to notice and name it.

This is the first of a mini series of articles that showcase a specific part of my body; you will never see any X-rated parts of my body.

Album Review 002: I want to sail between your thighs

2006-05-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

Featured Album

Album

Infinite Jest

Band

We Are The Fury

Release Date

January 24, 2006

Score

Featured Track

Better Off, This Way

The Track Listing

1. Better Off, This Way
2. Anesthetic Parade
3. Nation, Forgive Us
4. Parody At The Masquerade
5. Soap Opera

The Back Story

A few years ago, I was on purevolume.com when I stumbled across a band called “The Fury”. They had a very unique and incredibly upbeat and child-like quality about them. I bookmarked them and would listen to them every now and then. Last year I decided to check out their purevolume page again and noticed it redirected me to a band called “We Are The Fury” - their new name. However, it wasn’t just their name that had changed; their discography changed as well: they now had an EP on the horizon: "Infinite Jest". Over the following months, leading up to the EP’s release, I became more and more excited about this CD as they slowly added a few of the songs from it to their purevolume page. Finally it was released and to my dismay, it only included five songs. I could not bring myself to spend ten or so dollars (plus shipping, as these guys would not be setting foot in a Canadian record store for quite some time) on such a small number of songs. So I not to support both Amazon and We Are The Fury and basically forgot about them entirely. Then a friend of mine from one of my classes told me about this “place” where he could download “any album ever”. For some reason We Are The Fury popped into my head, so I asked him if he could download their EP for me; he could; he did; I got them.

The Album

When creating a band profile in purevolume, you are able to define your sound by specifying up to three genres of music you most closely coincide with. We Are The Fury chose Rock, Indie, and Alternative; I would have chosen Pop, Rock, and Indie. If I didn’t feature a song for you guys to listen to, I would describe these guys as being similar to bands like Hot Hot Heat, Ok Go, and Ima Robot. The most prominent similarity between these bands is the lead singers voice, which I find hard to describe in words (another upside to having a song accompany the review). I will, however, try my best by listing a series of adjectives that best describe the lead singer’s voice: youthful, somewhat-flamboyant (not in the lispy-faggy sense), feminine, high, tight, painful (not painful to listen to; he literally sounds like he could be in some kind of pain), somewhat-lazy, and distressful.

This is an upbeat EP with nary a slow song; this is the kind of music you listen to if you want to convince a girl that your cool, not the kind you’d woo her with. It stars off with “Better Off, This Way”, the most upbeat song of them all. It begins with a deliciously bouncy/punchy intro (that ends up being the verses) that doesn’t waste any time introducing us to the whole band. The verse leads up into an unsurprisingly louder chorus that finishes with the quieter lyrics, “maybe it’s better off this way”. Naturally, we get a break-down after the second chorus that slowly builds up into the final forty seconds of chorus, ending quite abruptly. If they release (if they already haven’t) a single, this would be it.

The second song begins with some muted lyrics and some sort of shaker that quickly lead up to a much louder and almost chorus-like verse. The volume then drops a little before quickly rising again for a typical basic-guitar and strained-voice combo chorus. The chorus falls into this singer + piano verse that is overwhelmed by the second and final chorus of the song; both the first and second songs are under three minutes. “Nation, Forgive Us” is the third song (middle song) and is my least favourite of the five. It begins with a bit o’ drums that are lead into the first verse with the bassist. Soon enough, Mr. Lyrics joins in, spitting out “You wanna talk about indecision?”. The verse eventually breaks down into what sounds like the pre-chorus, however, it takes us right back to another verse. Don’t worry though, the second pre-chorus leads into an overall louder chorus featuring an angrier twist on the lead singer’s voice. A very quiet and muted breakdown follows that leads again into the chorus that fades to black.

The next song is substantially more mellow and less frantic. The verses feature some creatively whiny guitar solos over some periodic opening of the high-hat. Like the first song, the musicians resort to some basic guitar and piano work overshadowed by the lead singer’s friendly vocal track during the choruses. However, unlike the first song, this one ends the song with a wee bit of a guitar solo. The final song starts with the lead singer singing “I was a ghost from outer space” over a jumpy piano that swiftly feeds into the “official” verse. We then get a quick break-down right before the angriest and most complicated sounding chorus from the whole EP, which is ironic since the song’s basically about a guy proclaiming his loving and lustful feelings for some girl. VERSE. CHORUS. Then a drawn out instrumental part that lets the lead singer join in right before the third chorus. The song then begins its descent, lead by a small choir humming all the way to the end.

The Final Impressions

I decided to push the individual song reviews into the overall review as the EP was so short. The EP is very solid and has the band defining itself all the way through. Though these guys do not offer anything completely new to the scene, they separate themselves enough from the rest of the bands out there and create a fairly unique sound. However, if it weren’t for their vocalist, we would be left with some moderately talented musicians producing some been-there-done-that sounds, definitely not worth five full heart containers from yours truly. Fortunately, the vocalist can make or break a band, and the lead vocalist for these guys certainly makes this band what it is, hence my kind rating.

No Review This Week.

2006-05-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

I have spent a lot of time on purevolume.com. Purevolume.com, like (what I see as) its rival, music.myspace.com, offers a band a chance to promote itself for free or fee; they can post pictures, videos, songs, blogs, and most importantly, accept friend and fan requests. I prefer purevolume because of its more professional and elegant design, it’s complete focus on music (myspace is more about promoting how great you can look at a certain angle), and it’s well designed home page. I have found a lot of the music I listen to on the home page of purevolume; granted, I have only found artists/bands I like that fall under the indie or emo genre, so if you prefer music from the opposite end of the music spectrum, I’d suggest trying a different site. I, like most people with their foot in “the scene”, pride myself on “discovering” bands before they step foot on TRL. Two such bands I have discovered before their debut album and TRL appearance, are Panic at the Disco! and The Academy Is... (both of which feature annoying terminating punctuation).

How do I find such bands? It has to do with three things:

1) I enjoy catchy, empty, upbeat indie/emo/alternative/pop/rock (and more) and so do a lot of other kids. This means that if I am enthusiastic about a band, there’s a good chance that at least one million other youth would feel the same way.

2) Purevolume constantly refreshes their home page with a slew of new featured bands, both unsigned and signed. If I bookmark at least one promising band a week, chances are I’m going to find out about a future success sooner than later.

3) Luck. It takes more than talent for a band to make it big; they also need the right connections and promotions. Relient K could own Avril Lavigne if they were force fed to us as much as “Complicated” was.

I also should mention, I don’t just “discover” the band on purevolume, I also wait for the debut album’s release until I can scoop it up from Amazon. However, the band I planned to review tonight (until I watched “The Weather Man” instead - good movie - makes you think), did not receive any kind of monetary thank you from my end. I have an excuse though: they have only released an EP and I have trouble buying 4-6 song CDs.

Now for the purpose of this post:

This week, I will be reviewing the EP, “Infinite Jest” from the band “We Are The Fury”. Until I tell you my opinion of them, form your own at their purevolume profile page.

A Sidenote: I started my first full time and coop job on Monday and work from 8 - 4 (on average), Monday - Friday. Thus, I have about 6-7 hours of free time during Sunday - Thursday nights. Subtract any time I spend in the bathroom (people might say I spend too much time in there), eating, touching up my ever-thinning hair, and spending time with my friends and girlfriend. Now you may realize why I may be less inclined to spend my few personal minutes each night to post on my sub-popular blog. Feel free to listen to music you like while I’m too busy to write about music I like.

Album Review 001: I'm an addict for dramatics

2006-04-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Featured Album

Album

Louder Now

Band

Taking Back Sunday

Release Date

April 25, 2006

Score

Featured Track

Miami

The Track Listing
1. What It Feels Like To Be A Ghost 2. Liar (It Takes One To Know One) 3. MakeDamnSure 4. Up Against (Blackout) 5. My Blue Heaven 6. Twenty-Twenty Surgery	7. Spin 8. Divine Intervention 9. Miami 10. Error Operator 11. I'll Let You Live

The Back Story

Louder Now (LN from now on) is Taking Back Sunday's (TBS) third full-length album; their first is "Tell All Your Friends" (TAYF) and their second is "Where You Want To Be" (WYWTB) - you can hear the title of each album sung in one of its songs. TAYF, naturally, has the most underground and unconventional sound of the three. They were one of the first bands to be branded as emo and debuted TAYF right before the surge of emo-rock bands that many of you have become more than familiar with by now. However, even now, with the over-abundance of emo bands, TBS still stands taller than most due to its messenger-name-ready-chorus-lyrics and duel vocals. WYWTB is the CD that pushed them into the mainstream, having their singles played on the radio and even in Spider Man 2; one of their songs on LN was featured in a superhero movie soundtrack as well. This of course gained them many new fans, while probably abandoning a few who may have found their new album too radio-friendly. Now, almost two years later, TBS has released their third full-length album, Louder Now.

The Album

I have always found WYWTB to be a bit on the bland side; it is definitely less creative than TAYF. Maybe Adam (lead) was having trouble collaborating with John's (other vocalist from TAYF) replacement, Fred. If that was the case, it seems like they have overcome whatever issues they were dealing with and have created an incredibly solid, pump'd, and generally energetic album. It is fairly obvious that we will never hear another album like TAYF (I don't mean to sound like I'm praising it), but I am more than comfortable with their more radio-friendly sound. It is also nice to see some more creative songs on this album.

Unlike Sum 41's second album, "All Killer, No Filler", there is absolutely no filler on this album. In fact, if I were to play this CD for someone who hadn’t heard TBS before and tell him/her that it was their greatest hits album, I am confident I’d get away with it. Every song is fast, aggressive, and hella pump’d. If there's one thing that these guys have done the same since the beginning, it’s the predictable VERSE-CHORUS-VERSE-CHORUS-SLOWPART-CHORUS-CHORUS structure of all their songs, save the standard "slow song", which is all SLOWPART. This is not a bad thing, and by no means should they be penalized for such an obvious and widely used method for song construction. In fact, since its such an obvious structure, it's not really that noticeable until it is explicitly pointed out to you, which I basically just did; my bad. All the choruses feature the same strained and desperate vocalizations of lead singer Adam Lazzara accompanied by the more macho and “yelly” sound of his right-hand man Fred Mascherino. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between the two vocalists, but as far as I am concerned, this has no impact on the albums overall performance. Like I've said, the duel vocals have always been my most favourite aspect of this band and am surprised Hawthorne Heights hasn't mimicked it yet.

Lyrics. These guys (the CD jacket simply says that the songs and lyrics were written by "Taking Back Sunday") write great lyrics. They rhyme (or at least alliterate) and our rot with clever poetic devices. These are the kinds of lyrics that make "emo-kids" wet; they are angry, vengeful, aggressive and all around pessimistic. In the "underground", they are probably well known for their clever use of gun metaphors in TAYF. Fortunately, they use lyrics to express such emotions and not screaming, the tactic that bread the emo subgenre, screemo. I would really like to see these guys write an optimistic and upbeat song for once, but until then, I will just have to listen to Relient K to pep me up.

The Songs

1. What It Feels Like To Be A Ghost
This song is the first of the album. Fortunately it does the album justice starting with a catchy, grungy, and purposefully under-produced riff that soon enough leads into a crunchy palm-muted verse. Without surprise, the guitarists release their palms just in time for a loud chorus driven by the lyrics "What's it feel like to be a ghost?" and "Are you up for this?", with Fred and Adam taking turns at the mic. We then get another verse and chorus followed by a soft and slow verse that builds itself up into the initial riff, followed by the chorus.

2. Liar (It Takes One To Know One)
The song starts off with the bassist continuously strumming a single note whilst being accompanied by what sounds like a ride cymbal. The guitars quickly come in with some light strumming as well and are followed by Adam and Fred. The song then takes off like most songs on this album with the catchy chorus promoting typical (for TBS) biting lyrics. This song, however, trades in the slow part for a strictly instrumental part with some muted screaming in the background.

3. MakeDamnSure
This is the single. It begins with Adam inhaling, readying himself for the fury of metaphor he's about to unleash. The verses are generally a little less hostile than the previous two songs, being driven primarily by Adam and the drums. Otherwise this song provides little surprises; I so wish “Twenty Twenty Surgery” or “Miami’ were chose to be the first single. This would make it a little more obvious to the public that they have evolved musically.

4. Up Against (Blackout)
The song immediately begins with the chorus where Adam yells "This is what we're up against", grabbing your attention right away. Because of this, I would have liked to see this song be the first on the album. This song features more laid back verses than the three previous songs, but provides a just-as-excellent chorus spotlighting one of my favourite lyrics on the album "Every minute is a minute away". The slow part on this song is replaced with a short breakdown that is actually more pumped than the verses.

5. My Blue Heaven
When I first heard this song, I expected it to be the slow song as it starts off with some pleasant plucking of the guitar. However, it quickly picked up and ended up being one of my most favourite songs on the album. I was half right though, as this song is generally slower than the rest of the songs on the album (except the required "Slow Song"). The strings track in the chorus and Adam's on-the-verge-of-crying vocals during the slow part wonderfully amplify the mournful theme to this song.

6. Twenty-Twenty Surgery
This song starts with the whole band in full motion, with Adam quickly joining in. This song really stands out to me on this album with a much different sounding verse and chorus. It mostly has to do with the way Adam sings. The verses are made up of some eerily catchy and rhythmic riffs and vocals, where the chorus features very basic instrumentals and Adam singing with a much deeper voice than he usually has.

7. Spin
This song begins with a very unique whining guitar riff that is abruptly joined by the rest of the band in a exceptionally frantic rock medley. Adam joins in with the voice he usually saves for the choruses. The chorus is just as frantic as the verses. Don’t worry though, we get to take a break from all the stress with a quick breakdown that builds up to - you guessed it - the final chorus.

8. Divine Intervention
This is the slow song. I'm not sure why bands always include the slow song. It really breaks up the intense momentum the rest of the album keeps throwing at you. Thankfully they didn't resort to an Adam + Guitar slow song and settled, instead, for something a little more interesting. What do I mean by interesting? Well I'm glad I asked on your behalf. What makes it interesting is the very appropriate and unrecognizable sound effects and bell parts; they really give the entire song a very cool and cozy atmosphere. I would have liked this song to be my featured song, but it would falsely represent the album, regardless of how cool and different it may be.

9. Miami
I love how this song begins. I get such a boner from that punchy guitar sound that only hits every other note; it's all over this song. I also liked how the guitars drown out Adam's voice during the chorus and feature a small guitar solo; enjoy it, it's the only one. A strings track is used in this song, which amplifies the overall sad theme to the song. I have not described the structure of this song since I have made it my featured track; you can figure out how it starts, gets going, and ends on your own.

10. Error Operator
During my "Back Story" portion of the review I mentioned how a song on this album could be found on the soundtrack of a superhero movie. Well if that last sentence didn't clue you in to what I'm about to say, what I'm about to say will: Error Operator was actually released on iTunes as a single and on the soundtrack for the major motion picture, The Fantastic (failure of a movie) Four. I have yet to see the movie and have no idea at what point it was played during the movie, or what part of the song was played. If you remember Spiderman 2, you may remember that their song was only played during the ending credits. So hopefully they've been promoted this time around. As for the actual song, it's great; it's typical. It starts off with just the bass and quickly lets the rest of the band join in, almost immediately jumping into a quick version of the chorus. Like "Spin" this song is consistently frantic throughout, except for the scheduled slow part.

11. I'll Let You Live
This is the longest song on the album. This is the slowest (besides the "slow song") song on the album. This is also my least favourite song on the entire album. I can see why this song was pushed to the end of the line. It's as if they just ran out of steam (though it features the most lyrics of any song on the album) and needed to reach that golden 11-track quota. I find most albums don't finish on a high note though, so don’t let it spoil the other awesome tracks on the album.

Final Impressions

I prefer this album to all other TBS albums. It is a complete improvement on WYWTB in every way and though does not have the "classic" reputation that TAYF has, it is the most solid release of the three with essentially no filler (thanks to track 11). Though the songs may follow a fairly obvious structure, TBS is able to make each song stand out on its own, never making you (or at least me) feel like you've heard it before. In the end, I gave this song four and a half heart containers out of 5. I can only give an album five full heart containers if I can confidently give each song a five star rating in my iTunes library. This album could have received all five star ratings if they had expanded their song structure just a bit more and put more effort into the final track.

A New Format: Follow-Up.

2006-04-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

I've prepared a template for my reviews and am already thinking about albums I want to review. However, as I'm not reading my blog, my only real motive for writing these reviews is to make it easier for me to make consistent posts, practice writing both words and html/css code, and to further promote myself, my blog, and my useless website. So, in an attempt to make my blog more interactive for the user, I will take suggestions for albums to review; keep in mind, I either have to already own the album or be willing to purchase it. Therefore, though I have nothing against the genre, do not suggest country albums. I am essentially open to most other genres.

Assuming no albums are suggested (which I am), I will merely choose an album from my iTunes library that I feel I can write about. I will not only review five-star albums, this would obviously turn my blog into more of a music recommendation blog than a review blog. I will also never review very similar bands two weeks in a row as to not exclude any particular minority or majority of my readers; I am, of course, assuming I have consistent readers. Finally, I will try to not only review an album once a week, but post mini-reviews of albums as well, where I will write a paragraph's worth of text. This way I can keep myself from going crazy over the ever-expanding queue of albums I want to review.

If you have any other ideas of how I can make this blog more interesting for you, please let me know, either via commenting on this post or by emailing me at leseeley [at] gmail.com.

A New Format.

2006-04-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

I first began this blog because I had heard so much about "blogging", mainly from the podcasts I had recently begun listening to. Naturally, I was curious and made my own blogger account, made my first post, and left it sit for a while. Then I began simply making a quick post regarding some interesting story I had found on digg.com (a social news bookmarking website). I think what readers I had quickly realized that I wasn't really "blogging", but rather, was simply linking them to articles and websites I found interesting. I would also find myself stop blogging for weeks at a time due to a busy schedule in my real life. I would then become very unmotivated to update it.

I've since written some much longer posts that have more to do with my opinions than a URL linked to someone else's. However, I still feel like this blog is a waste of time for me and anyone who reads it. This is why I have decided to create a reliable format and schedule. Doing this will hopefully stir some life into it. I will no longer supply links to articles I have found out to my many news sources. I will instead post a list of all the news sites I subscribe to (via RSS) so that you can find out about the news on your own. I feel that offering some hopefully original content will be a lot more interesting.

Now, what should I write about? And how often should I write about it?

I have decided to review an album from my vast iTunes library each week. Not only that, but I will post my favourite song from the album for one week for all of you to enjoy. I got this idea from an MP3 blog my friend sent me where a song would be reviewed each week with the actual song posted for a while. I will come up with a possible rating scheme and layout later. Later on, I may ad video game reviews and anything else I can think of.

I will come up with a format and an appropriate way to post the song during the following week and will review the new Taking Back Sunday album next Tuesday when it is released.

Until then, enjoy a 30 second stream of each song from their up-and-coming album, Louder Now.

My Name In The New York Times.

2006-04-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

There is a small chance that you may remember a post I wrote a long while ago regarding the oddity of my domain name, lukees.com: Why didn't I buy lukeseeley.com? Well, as I explained in that post, lukeseeley.com is taken; it does, however, only redirect you to aboynamedlook.com, which pisses me off even more; it's just a redirecting domain. Anyways, aboynamedluke.com is a blog some guy wrote to essentially document his sons whole life, his son Luke, Luke Seeley. Anyways, looks like Luke and his Dad found their 15 minutes of fame: There was an article written about them in the New York Times. Not only does this kid have a website dedicated to him at such an early life, but he also has his own email address: luke@lukeseeley.com. Something weird to note: Luke Seeley was born in Vancouver Washington, where as I was born in Vancouver British Columbia. I just noticed a typo, that I have had to deal with all my life, in the article: "...obscure domain name like lukeseely.ce..." It's SEELEY; not Seely, or Sealy, or Sealey. My dad's even had people call him Mr. Feeley. PS: my domain name is lukees because my full name is Luke Edgar Seeley.

Boot Camp.

2006-04-06T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am writing this article with the assumption that anyone reading this does not follow any Apple news. Since Apple announced that they were moving their whole computer product line to Intel processors, everyone assumed, or at least speculated, that we would be able to install and run Windows on Macintosh computers from now on. Well, shortly after the first Macintels were released earlier this year, people began attempting to boot into Windows on to them. It was soon realized that such an endeavor was "impossible" since the new Intel Core chips used, what's called, EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) to boot operating systems, where as all other chips boot using a BIOS. And of course, Windows XP needs to boot with a BIOS. However, the macintel "hackers" did not despair as they were sure Vista (Microsoft's next operating system due next January) would boot with EFI. It was then announced that Vista would still be using BIOS. All hope was lost. THEN, a contest was initialized that awarded an ever-growing cash prize to the first person who could get Windows XP to boot on an Intel Mac. Fourteen Thousand Dollars later, two guys were able to do so. Soon there after, instructions were posted all over the WEB. Naturally, there was a catch: Windows wasn't able to interact with most of the Macintosh's hardware; i.e. you could not go online, run processor-heavy videos (I'm not sure if you were even able to watch any moving pictures whatsoever). In fact, you could only really run Solitaire and Notepad (and any other basic app Windows came bundled with). This was not as exciting as hoped... Well, last week (Wednesday), Apple came to the rescue with an application entitled Bootcamp. It offers an easy installation program for, you guessed it, install Windows on your Mac. Even though a nice installation application would have been nice by itself, Apple also released a bundle drivers that allowed Windows to interact with all the Mac's hardware (save the built in iSight and backlighting on the MacBook Pro's keyboard). This now means that you can run Windows exactly as you would on a Dell box. And even better... ...this means that I can buy an Intel Mac Mini and continue to enjoy Mac OS X whilst occasionally indulging myself in ... TIBERIAN SUN & STARCRAFT & AGE OF EMPIRES 2. These are my favourite RTS (real-time strategy) computer games ever; gaming was essentially the only thing I had to give up when "switching", except for all those oh-so-essential tabs in MSN Messenger. Now I can have it all. DEATH TO NOD!

Hero Of Time.

2006-03-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

If you don't know anything about the Legend of Zelda series of video games from Nintendo, then before reading any more of this, please research the topic a little bit. Though I am a huge fan of the Zelda series, I have only ever finished one of the games (twice), Link to the Past (SNES). Essentially, the story of each game revolves around three main characters: Link (the green-capped hero), Zelda (the helpless princess), and Ganon/Ganondorf (the bad guy). Some more "hardcore" Zelda fans may even remember the brief stint of the Zelda TV Show. I'm sure those fans often dreamed of one day watching a Zelda movie at their local theatre. Though there is absolutely no reason to believe Nintendo will ever produce such a movie, some VERY die-hard fans of the series have decided that they will create the first Legend of Zelda fan film, entitled "The Legend of Zelda: Hero of Time". Not only do they supply a few screenshots of the current production, but they even have a fairly lengthy trailer; though it's obvious its a fan film, it does not look bad at all.

South Park Returns.

2006-03-23T00:03:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard the news, Isaac Haynes, the voice actor for Chef from South Park quit. He quit because he fealt that Matt Stone and Trey Parker (the creators of South Park) had gone too far in their satire of religion: "There is a place in this world for satire, but there is a time when satire ends and intolerance and bigotry towards religious beliefs of others begins ... Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored" - Isaac Hayes Matt Stone responded to this statement saying that "this is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology... He has no problem — and he's cashed plenty of checks — with our show making fun of Christians." Anyways, I just saw the first episode of the tenth season of South Park, and just as I (and many others) predicted, the episode revolved around the events I just described. DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU ARE AFRAID OF SPOILERS Basically, the whole premise of the episode is this: Chef has just returned from his trip with with Super Adventurers. Soon after he arrives, the town starts noticing Chef's abnormal behaviour, which was cleverly portrayed by using old Chef soundbytes when he would speak. They soon find out what has changed about Chef; he wants to molest children. Don't worry, they had more classes than this. The kids then visit the Super Adventurers to find out what happened to Chef. They discover that these group of adventurers travel the world to molest children of different nations and cultures and had brainwashed Chef into desiring the same. The metaphor became OH SO CLEAR at this point. The Super Adventurers brainwashing Chef is a metaphor for, you guessed it, the Scientologists brainwashing Isaac Hayes. It didn't stop there either, the head Super Adventurer described how they came to be and it was VERY (and on purpose) reminicent of how they described the story behind Scientology; I suggest you watch that episode first (it's called "Trapped in the Closet"). Anyways, the kids are trying to unbrainwash Chef when the Super Adventurers kidnap him and take him back to their "clubhouse". The kids go after them, rescue Chef and are about to escape when Chef decides that he truly wants to be a Super Adventurer and returns to the clubhouse. Except as he is walking across a wodden suspension bridge, it breaks and he falls into a casm where he is implailed by a rock and ripped apart by a mouintain liion and a bear. Naturally, we hear "THEY KILLED CHEF! ... YOU BASTARDS!". A funeral scene follows where Kyle speaks out about Chef exclaiming how no one chould get mad at Chef for returning to the Super Adventurers, but rather, should get mad at the Super Adventurers for brainwashing him. This is the moral to the whole episode and was a very nice end to the episode. I cannot wait to hear what Isaac Hayes has to say about this; it was clear that Matt and Trey were hurt that Isaac would leave them like that and hate that he has been "brainwashed" by Scientologists.

New Say Anything In Early 2007.

2006-03-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

Say Anything is a great band. They recently re-released their debut album "...Is A Real Boy" with a second CD called "...Was A Real Boy". Now they have begun working on their second full length album due in early 2007. Here's a quote from the article that discusses the next album. CHECK IT OUT. "We've started writing a couple of songs," Bemis tells Billboard.com. "It's going to be a lot more about what happens once you've gained an identity, rather than searching for one, which is what the last record was about. This one's about knowing who you are and how to love with it."

The Lonely Island.

2006-03-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

Do you remember how great that Lazy Sunday video was? Well if you loved that, you'll probably enjoy this Natalie Portman Gangsta Rap Video, which was also written by the same guys, known as The Lonely Island. These guys are not only responsible for both SNL sketches, but are also responsible for the Channel 101 prime time hit, The Bu.

Now Martians Will Find Google Helpful Too.

2006-03-12T21:58:00.000-08:00

Have you ever used Google Earth, Google's software masterpiece that allows you to zip around a 3D model of Earth created from satellite images? Well I have, and if you haven't you will not find the this post that interesting. So check it out before reading any further. Google has done it again and released Google Mars, though it only exists on the web right now, like Google Local, and is not available for download. In fact, Google Mars resembles Google Local so much more than Google Earth that I don't even know why I began this post relating the two. Either way, you will definitely find Google Mars interesting for a lil' while even though a lot of mars has yet to be mapped (which you will quickly realize after playing with Google Mars for a bit).

Nothingness Or Infinity?

2006-03-12T21:12:00.000-08:00

I'm still watching the Nova videos I talked about in my last post. Something just occurred to me: Either the universe began as nothing and then BOOM. Or it was always there. Both are very uncomfortable ideas: infinity and Nothingness. So either the universe has always existed in some form, or it merely appeared from nothing. Which do I find more uncomfortable? Definitely the idea of NOTHING THEN BOOM. I'm sure all of you (2 or 3 readers) find the idea of pure nothingness to be more than terrifying; you may also find it very peaceful. When I was younger I would often get think about my death and what it would be like, and every time I would get this image of zooming out of earth and the solar system and then BOOM, the image would end; needless to say it would leave me terrified. My idea of death was infinite nothingness, so perhaps the idea of infinity and nothingness are not too different. However, nothingness could also be described as the complete opposite of infinity, in which case I'd like to revoke the previous sentence. Either way, the idea of nothing freaked my out and still does. The idea of infinity, though impossible to comprehend, is not only less terrifying, but also seems more probable; I mean, who has ever heard of something coming from nothing? But then again, who has ever heard of something w/o a beginning? Neither seems possible. So which idea do you prefer, NOTHINGNESS or INFINITY? I'm assuming no one will comment let alone provoke a thought-inspiring conversation, so I will repost this on my newsvine column shortly. Oh, and I could obviously not find an image of infinity or nothingness, as neither can be properly illustrated in a single 2D image, so I just found a guy with his head in his ass.

God I Love Physics.

2006-03-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

If you ever found interesting, but hated the idea of learning all those endless formulas and symbols, then you might find these 28 videos interesting; I definitely did. I can guarantee you will enjoy them if you enjoyed "What The Bleep Do We Know". They are pretty much about the "Theory of Everything", or rather, different theories on how the universe works and is. This begins with Newton's theory of Gravity and then where Einstein and Boyle took that (with an obvious emphasis on Einstein), leaving the last half on String Theory. The 28 videos make up the 3 one hour NOVA specials that played on PBS some time ago (I didn't both finding out when). The narration is well done and includes many interesting/fun CGI elements as well. Obviously, the best part of the whole "mini-series" is the many interviews, though I found Edward Witten's voice to be particularly annoying. All in all, if you've ever wondered about multiple dimensions (one theory suggests there are 11), gravity, sub-atomic particles, the Big Bang, or anything about the universe, then try to find to watch all of these videos.

Why Must iTalk So Much About Apple?

2006-03-05T01:49:00.000-08:00

If you keep track of this blog, or my column on newsvine (see sidebar for recent posts) then you have probably noticed how much I mention Apple and their products. So why do I talk about Apple so much? Is it because I own an iPod and a Powerbook? Is it because I have a strong affection for The Underdog? Or am I simply obsessed with the way in which Apple design their products? Well, it does have to do, somewhat, with all of that, but it mostly has to do with the fact that people care about Apple and people talk about Apple. Are you aware that Dell has dropped their hard drive based MP3 players? Do you even know what they were called? Of course not; who cares. A few weeks ago, Apple silently added a 1GB iPod Nano to their line-up; they didn't use any kind of hyped-up Steve Jobs keynote. A few days later, my father mentions to me about it, telling me how he heard it on the news. Dell drops their "version of the iPod" and no one knows; Apple announces a Nano of smaller capacity and it makes the evening news. People care about Apple. If you follow any tech news sites, subscribe to any tech news feeds, or simply spend time on any tech forums then you are bound to witness the incredible rumour mill surrounding Apple and what they might soon be releasing. A high definition tv? A PVR-enabled Mac Mini? A tablet Mac? A touch screen video iPod? These are all rumours that have surfaced over the last few months. People love to talk about Apple. It's not just the rumour mill that keeps Apple on the forefront of tech news, it is also their never-ending stream of Steve Jobs Key Notes and, what many have dubbed, his "Reality Distortion Field"; he knows how to make people believe in him. There is no one else in the tech industry as famous for his/her presentations as Jobs. No one. I've never been so excited over something I don't care about in the least. It's unbelievably entertaining to hear Jobs announce and discuss the latest version of iDVD, a program I have never, and will never use. Apple knows how to present itself. So when you get annoyed about my next Apple-related post (don't be surprised if my next post is), remember that it's not just because of my boner for anything Apple, Apple just happens to be what everyone likes talking about.

A Rubix Cube in 4 Dimensions.

2006-02-26T18:40:00.000-08:00

I'll make a post about my absence later...until then, try your luck with this 4D Rubix Cube...thats right folks...a Rubix Hyper Cube. It's only entertaining because its so impossible to figure out; it is just fun to watch it animate.

A Darker iTunes.

2006-02-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wish iTunes was black? I havn't. But if you have, or just plain-ol' don't like iTunes, then here is another free music library/player with A LOT of potential. It's called Songbird and it looks like a cross-platform (thats Linux too) iTunes clone. At the moment it is still in beta (version 0.1 to be exact) and is available for download for the Windows platform as a Proof-of-Conecept version. What separates it from iTunes, besies its colour and few interface tweaks, is that it has been built on the Firefox engine, is open source, and is extensible. This means that, like Firefox, anyone can create Songbird extensions that can add a great deal more functionality. Hopefully someone will be able to make an extension that gives Songbird the ability to sync with iPods. This way it could actually be an iTunes killer. One final and emphasized feature is Songbird's ability to play any song from any website. You can use Songbird as a browser and when you load a page with playable songs on it, Songbird will display a little window at the bottom displaying all the songs you can play. You can then play them in Songbird like you would any other file; this is a NICE feature. I don't have Windows and can therefore not test it out, but if anyone would like to, please let me know how you find it, either by commenting on this post, or be emailing me at leseeley [at] gmail.com.

FINAL POST (follow up).

2006-02-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I got a few comments on my last post. They were unfortunately all "anonymous" and so I don't really know if they were all written by individual fans, or just one of my friends joking around. I am SURE that my Google Analytics page isn't working properly now because it still says I've received no hits today when clearly I must have if people are commenting. I did, however, check the stats page that GoDaddy provided me with, which, though not telling my how many unique hits I've received, tells me how many server requests I've received. Unfortunately, requests occur A LOT more than unique hits. For instance, when your browser loads an image, it sends a request to a server to send the image. But as it stands, it looks like people have been visiting my site and that something is wrong with my Google Analytic account. I shall resume blogging. I have, however, been blogging and seeding at NewsVine.com. A site that is still in beta and requires an invite to get in. I have 17 invites left, anybody want one? NewsVine is what I wish digg and slashdot were like. And I really shouldn't have mentioned Slashdot as I have long since forgotten that one. I just couldn't stand looking at all that ugly italicized text. Anyways, NewsVine offers news in two varieties: through the Wire (Associated Press) and through the Vine (user-seeded news and/or personal articles). It also offers commenting and in-line live chatting (there is some amazingly slick code behind that and pretty much the whole site). One feature I will definitely be using, is it has the ability to mirror a user's newswire posts to any other blogging site. This way I don't have to keep up my blogger account and newswire account at the same time. Probably the most interesting feature of all, thought not unveiled yet, is the way ads are handled. Normally, a site like this would keep all the ad earnings to itself, however, with NewsVine, a user keeps 90% of all ad earnings on his/her own column. The other 10% either goes towards whomever invited that user to NewsVine (so please write kick ass columns if you accept my invite) or, if the user was not invited (once NewsVine comes out of its Beta phase, no invites will be needed to access the site), the 10% will simply go back into NewsVine to pay for all that pretty code and bandwidth. I didn't link you to NewsVine because as it stands, no one is allowed to enter until they have been invited; if you go now you will be presented with a pretty login page and that's it. I could take screen captures and post them, but another guy already has, so just check out his personal review of NewsVine. If you want an invitation to NewsVine, email me at leseeley [at] gmail.com and I will add you to my invite list. I wrote my email address like that to prevent attack from spam bots that scour the web for email addresses.

FINAL POST

2006-02-05T23:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I said "I will officially stop blogging all together if I get no hits for one week straight". It has been one week. I am not blogging anymore. If I ever get 10 comments on this post, I will begin blogging again. It's been fun.

Man Sings Jiggly Puff Song!

2006-02-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

Found a video of someone trying out for American Idol, singing the Jiggly Puff song. If you don't know, Jiggly Puff is one of the originial Pokemon who used a sweet lullaby to lull his opponents to sleep; then pummle them.

Brand New Brand New Demos!

2006-02-02T22:51:00.000-08:00

It wouldn't even be funny to make fun of my rediculous post name. So I won't. You can download studio demos from Brand New's upcoming album here. The catch is, clicking that link will make your browser start downloading the torrent file. If you don't know what a torrent file is, go here. Goodluck.

Google Video: Matrix Ping Pong

2006-02-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

This video is exactlty as it sounds; two people playing ping pong with the same acrobatic style used by Trinity, Neo, and Morpheus in The Matrix. The one catch is, while you may expect computers to be used in the production of this video and its awsome effects, none are used. All the matrix-effects are conducted by a team of half a dozen folks dressed entirely in black. CHECK IT OUT.

Ever Wonder What Venus Looks Like?

2006-02-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

I haven't. But maybe you have. And if you have, then you may want to check out these images of venus taken in 1975. And I don't mean a pretty picture from the comfort of a satellite; I mean images of the beautiffuly-mars-looking surface of Venus.

The First Face Transplant.

2006-02-02T22:39:00.000-08:00

Ever seen Face-Off? Ever seen Mission Impossible 2? Well if you haven't, both of those movies feature face transplantations. Face-Off did a much better job of making it believable; MI2 was just plain silly. Either way, movie trivia is not the point of this post. The world's first face transplant patient has now begun her life a-new and with a new face. For details and a PICTURE, see my source article.

WTF.

2006-02-02T22:19:00.000-08:00

No one went to my site this tuesday, wednesday, thursday (today). I will officially stop blogging all together if I get no hits for one week straight. Please don't make me a sad panda (props to those who got the South Park reference!).

Hilarity.

2006-01-31T22:30:00.000-08:00

God damn. I love Penny Arcade. So many funny comics, though I always forget to read them. Here is the latest one...very funny.

Spell Things With Flickr Images

2006-01-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

That's right. If you check out this site, you'll find a small text form where you can enter anything and have that word returned to you spealt with images from Flickr. Obviously, the provided image was created from this very site. Now that I think about it, I should have had it spell some curse words...Oh well, I'm sure my too-many fans are already on it.

Hudson Photos On Flickr.

2006-01-29T22:39:00.000-08:00

My friend, Andrew Tape, just got a new chocolate lab puppy, Hudson. I went over to his house and took a few pictures. There was bad lighting, so a lot of the pictures are too dark. He's still cute, none-the-less, so check them out.

Site Redesign.

2006-01-29T21:16:00.000-08:00

I just redesigned my site, which you would have noticed by now if you access this blog via lukees.com. If you don't, then check it out.

Your Eyes Have Blind Spots.

2006-01-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Came across this page a while ago that shows you how each of your eyes have their own blind spots. The reason you never really notice them is because, with each eye open, the other eye makes up for the blind spot of the other. Anyways, go to the page and take the lil' test and see how you do. I definatly have a bit of a blindpost; really cool stuff.

You Don't Need Eyes To Kick Ass.

2006-01-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

"Brice Mellen is one of the best players at the DogTags gaming center in Lincoln, Nebraska. And he's blind ... By using sound to gauge his performance in the game, Brice has been able to defeat his challengers..." - Joystiq [SOURCE] I don't really need to say anything; it's just plain ol' amazing.

SMALLEST FISH EVER; NOW.

2006-01-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

"Researchers have found the smallest known fish on record in the peat swamps of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Individuals of the Paedocypris genus can be just 7.9mm long at maturity..." - BBC NEWS [SOURCE] This fish is insanely small. The article even explains how these fish can take refuge in puddles in extreme drought.

466453.com?

2006-01-24T14:27:00.000-08:00

An interesting piece of trivia... 466453.com redirects you to google.com

A Fun Waste O' Time.

2006-01-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

This site is a fun waste of time. I won't say anything about it; just go there, figure it out. It's fun; trust me.

MacBook Pro Video.

2006-01-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

I recently posted about the new Intel Macs: iMac Duo Core and the MacBook Pro. There are some nice looking pictures and articles revolving around the MacBook Pro, but here is a 15min long video showcasing the MacBook Pro. And NO, I won't be selling my 12inch G4 Powerbook to save up for one of these; it is reaaaaally fast though...

New Jew In The Works.

2006-01-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Eat World are currently working on their 6th full length album. SOURCE

New Head Automatica Demo.

2006-01-19T22:54:00.000-08:00

Check it out.

Postal Service And Apple.

2006-01-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

So Apple released a new iMac and a new laptop, the MacBook Pro, both showcasing Apple's new affection for Intel. They also released a new TV ad to let everyone know about the new Macintels... ...a tv ad that is so unbelievably similar to The Postal Service's music video for "Such Great Heights"; subscribe to the MacTV vidcast on iTunes to see a great video playing both videos side by side. In case you don't bother subcribing to a podcast and downloading this video just to see what I'm talking about, I'll explain: - both ads feature men and women wearing the intel bunny suits, going through the motions of creating Intel chips. Now, Apple obviously has more reason to make a commericaly revolving around such a theme, but there are moments that both videos share that are so disturbingly similar...Someone at Apple must have seen this postal service video. I'm sure they did not intentionally rip-off P-serve, and I'm not just saying that on the account of all my wood for Apple. Anyways, Apple just added the "Such Great Heights" music video to their iTunes store...so I guess everything's cool.

I've Been Put In My Place.

2006-01-17T19:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever endulged in a lil' vanity search? If you have, then you'll love EgoSurf; a site that gives you (and the websites you are associated with) a score based on how many hits you get on Google. I was quite suprised to find that I got a score of 0; considering the popularity of my blog, I should have gotten atleast 1. Obviously not.

I Wannnit! I Wannnit!

2006-01-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

This THING is awsome. It's a video of this awsome new instrument/gadget thing.

Martin Freeman and Penelope Cruz?

2006-01-15T22:34:00.000-08:00

Martin Freeman is Tim from The Office (UK). He was then the star of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, where I was really suprised to see him. Now, he will definatly be getting a lot more attention as an actor after his next film is released, The Good Night. Why will he get attention from this film? - He is the star - Penelope Cruz is a cast member - Gwyneth Paltrow is cast member - Danny DeVito is a cast member Thats huge.

Want To Have Fun?

2006-01-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

Then go to Purevolume; go to any artist's profile page; scroll to the bottom of the page. Here you will see the words "Random Profile Jump"; pick a genre you like; click GO. This will, like the name suggests, take you to a random artist's profile page within the realm of whatever genre you choose.

Like Trillian In Your Browser.

2006-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

Ever found yourself stuck on a computer w/o messenger while aching to chat with your friends? If you have, you probably have had some practice with Web Messenger; a web-based version of MSN Messneger. While web messenger works, it is not nearly as useful or easy to use as the actual thing. And what about AIM or ICQ users? What are they to do? Well, a few months ago, I found the perfect solution for all MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, ICQ, Jabber, and GTalk users: Meebo. Meebo basically offers a desktop-like experience within your browser; a desktop that will only run an IM client. After entering "meebo.com" into the address bar of your favourite browser, you will be welcomed by a page that presents you with the ability to login using whichever IM program you prefer. Then you are presented with somewhat of a virtual desktop in which exists your contact list. You can move this contact list like you can any IM client. You can also double click on contacts to open message windows which you can manipulate as if you were running MSN Messenger on your PC or Mac; you can stretch the window, minimize it, maximize it, close it, and move it anywhere you please (all within the confounds of your browser window). I have only experienced logging into my MSN account via meebo and have no idea what AIM, ICQ, GTalk, Yahoo Messenger, or Jabber looks like; I assume, exactly the same.

Some Great Engineering.

2006-01-12T12:12:00.000-08:00

I found a video of the new Volvo C70 Hardtop Convertable showing itself off. I have always liked convertables, but have never liked the ugly black foldable canvas. I like the hardtops better, but would find the removal of the hard top to be very inconvenient. This new Volvo takes the best of both worlds (the cool hardtop and the foldability of the UG canvas) and ties them together with some clever engineering. It is a foldable hardtop!

MacWorld 2006: Steve Jobs' Keynote.

2006-01-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

So, today was Steve Jobs' annual MacWorld Keynote; his biggest keynote of the year. Naturally, I spent all morning checking Engadget's coverage of the Keynote and am currently watching his keynote, which can be viewed at apple.com. Anyways...here's what was announced, besides all the impressive statistics... iPod FM Tuner This is pretty much like the remote for the older iPods, except that it also doubles as an FM Tuner; but who cares about FM radio when you have all your favourite music and podcasts already on your iPod? Definatly not me. Chrysler iPod Integration It's not like I'm getting a brand new car any time soon, so like the FM Tuner, I could care less. Mac OSX 10.4.4 Jobs didn't even say what's new about this new update, so I can't really say much about this; more bug fixes, woot! iLife '06 - iPhoto: performance update; increased limit of photos (25,000 -> 250,000); full screen editing mode; one-click effects; ability to make greeting cards, calendars, and more books; photocasting I really like the looks of the new full-screen editing mode. As for photocasting, it's too bad I'll need to buy a .Mac account if I want to create online albums. - iMovie: animated themes; real-time effects & titles; new audio tools & sound effects; multiple open projects; export-to-iPod feature; video podcast support. I pretty much never use iMovie... - iDVD: widescreen menus; magic iDVD (automatically creates DVDs using provided themes); new themes; vastly improved slideshows; enhanced map view editing; third-party dvd burner support. I use iDVD even less than iMove... - GarageBand: podcast studio (podcast artwork track, 200+ royalty-free sound effects, 100+ royalty-free jingles, automatic "ducking" effect, speach enhancer, remote interview support using iChat); new jam packs Seems as though the only additions to GarageBand have been about podcasting, and since I don't have my own podcast, this means nothing to me. - iWeb: A brand new application for easily creating websites for your pictures, videos, podcasts, blogs, etc: Apple-designed templates, iLife media browser, online photo albums, blogs and podcasts, one-click publishing to .Mac. This program is very slick. I wish I hadn't started a blog already, because I would love to use iWeb to maintain my blog and images. I would have to buy a .Mac subscription as well as buy iLife though. But god damn, the way iWeb is integrated with all the other iLife applications is just awsome. You really have to watch the keynote to understand how slick these apps are. iWork '06 - Includes new 3D charts; advance image editing; image reflections; freeform shapes & masks; tables with calculations; new themes and templates. This might actually make iWork worth purchasing now, what with spreadsheets, charts, and advanced image editing. It's atleast worth downloading. iMac Core Duo Exactly the same as the iMac G5, except it is 2-3x faster. They have created some software called Rosetta that will allow most PowerPC apps to run transparently; iLife and iWork run natively, however. It's not like I have the money to purchase one of these, so again, it doesn't matter to me. To others though, it sounds VERY recommendable. MacBook Pro Looks exactly like the 15" Powerbook, except for the following: its 4-5x as fast; it has a intel core duo processor; thinner (1-inch thin); 15.4 inch widescreen LCD display (brighter); built in iSight; IR-sensor + Front Row + Apple Remote; MagSafe (a power adapter thats magnetically held in), ExpressCard slot. Man I would love to upgrade to one of these. I would, however, keep my current powerbook around as I am in love with its small stature. But, again, I do not have the money for another computer. All Macs will sport intel processors by the end of the year This is good news; this means more powerful laptops that last longer. FINAL THOUGHTS Thankfully a new iPod wasn't announced, because we ALL know I would find a way to justify replacing my current iPod with it. I am also glad that the only iPod accessory they announced is very unattractive to me, so again, I do not feel the impulse to through cash at apple's online store. I really liked the additions to iLife, even if most of them are far from useful for me. This is the only thing that I think I might shell out for, as I really liked the few additions to iPhoto, and I am excited about using iWeb. I WANT THE MACBOOK PRO. I am not about to sell my Powerbook for it though, as I would NOT be able to afford it, even with the money earned. But damn...I want it.

Gone Phishin'.

2006-01-07T00:31:00.000-08:00

I never really knew what phishing was until I started listening to podcasts (mainly tech podcasts) and realized how many times I had fallen prey to the trickery that is phishing. If you didn't already click my "phishing" link, which would take you to a page full of definitions, I will paste one of the definitions I liked the most: Phishing is a form of Internet fraud that aims to steal valuable information such as credit cards, social security numbers, user IDs and passwords. A fake website is created that is similar to that of a legitimatorganizationon, typically a financial institution such as a bank or insurance company. An email is sent requesting that the recipient access the fake website (which will usually be a replica of a trusted site) and enter their personal details, including security access codes. ... When realizeded what phishing was I instantly remembered all these emails I hareceiveded from "eBay" asking me to re-enter my information to prove that I was still using the account (or some reason like that); the motivation they present you with is usually security-driven. I just recentlreceiveded an email from "PayPal" entitled "Quarterly Security Update"... Dear valued Paypal member, You are receiving this notification because PayPal is required by law to check at least quarterly that we have the most up to date details on every customer. The account update form for your PayPal account is accessed by visiting our website at https://www.paypal.com/. Once you visit the site you will be prompted for the various details that we require. Important: The deadline for your account update is January 15, 2006, failure to update by this date will cause suspension of your account. If it is not updated by this date we will not be fulfilling our quarterly account details integrity check and thus our legal obligation If you need help with your password, click the Help link which is at the upper right hand side of the PayPal website. To report errors in your statement or make inquiries, click the Contact Us link in the footer on any page of the PayPal website, call our Customer Service center at (402) 938-3630, or write us at: PayPal Inc. P.O. Box 45950 Omaha, NE 68145 Sincerely, PayPal So I clicked the link just as I remembered about phishing. I then hovered over the provided link to "paypal.com" and found that the URL it pointed to was actually http://paypal.com.verification.paypal.com.security.us.reg.web.system.paypal.security.service.paypal.webscr.us.reg.web.system.paypal.security.service.ppsecurity.selfip.biz/webscr/us/account_update.html I compared the fraud site with paypal.com and found only one discrepancy, which is featured in the above image. All the links on the fraud site actually link to the real respective pages on the actual paypal website. MY ADVICE Whereceivingng an email from a legitamate company you are affiliated with, always hover your cursor over any links; a little box will appear that will display the URL it will send you to. If it looks suspicious, realize that it is a fraud site and you should not enter any of your information into any of the forms featured on it.

Free Radio Stations.

2006-01-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

You no longer need to download music, you just have to go online and use Pandora either by using a free account (with who-cares ads and the limit of 10 skipped tracks an hour) or pay $3 a month. Pandora allows you to create "radio stations" based on songs or bands you like. You create a radio station by first tpying in the name of a band or song you like. Pandora will then analyze the song's "genome" (they take 20min to analyze each song in their vast library to create its genome which includes an extensive list of attributes) and create an ongoing playlist of songs with similar genome's to the song or band you enetered. You can then add more songs or bands to refine your playlist. You also have the ability to give any song a thumbs up or thumbs down: a thumbs up will encourage Pandora to play more songs with a similar genome and a thumbs down will stop it from ever playing that song again and songs of similar genome. If you like your radio station enough, you can email it to a friend.

My Frappr Map.

2006-01-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

I just made a Frappr account and make a map for readers of my readerless blog. A Frappr map is essentially a Google Map that you can add yourself to.

Band' O The Week [2]: My Getaway

2006-01-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

This week (I doubt I will consistently do this once a week) the band is My Getaway. Like last time, and every other time I'm sure, I found this band on the home page of purevolume.com, where I pretty much find all the bands I like. Again, this band "sounds like everyone else". Though they can be indistinguishable from most bands in their genre at some times, they still offer some unique additions, which I obviously enjoy. They also have Myspace, Live Journal and Frappr pages.

Snoop Dogg on Purevolume.

2006-01-03T12:50:00.000-08:00

It suprised me today to find out that Snoop Dogg has an artist page on purevolume. I have no idea how new this page is as I never actually browse/search for artists on purevolume; I just check out the Pure Picks and Pure Promos on the home page. I've always found purevolume to be a great place to find up-and-coming indie/punk/emo/rock/pop bands that I can use to improve ma street cred and increase my iTunes library, but never a place to find mainstream "Rap/Hip Hop" (as his artist page puts it). I really don't like "Drop It Like It's Hot" ... if you have yet to hear that number, it's up on his purevolume page.

Who Rules? Hyrule.

2006-01-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's anyone has probably heard of Nintenod's Zelda franchise, whose star character is actually named Link (Zelda is the name of the princess who always gets kidnapped by Ganondorf). Nintendo is working on probably the best Zelda game to date (I bet many Zelda Nastalgia Fanatics will even place Twilight Princess above Ocarina and Link To The Past), Twilight Princess. This game is pretty much what every Zelda fan has wanted for years: a bigger and beautifuller Ocarina. Don't believe me, check out this THIRTY MINUTE DEMO VIDEO that shows off a lot of this year's new Zelda game.

Joss.

2006-01-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

If you loved Firefly, Buffy, Angel, and/or Serenity, then you have Joss Whedon to thank. Here is an article he wrote that I found quite funny. Enjoy.

A New Year Post.

2006-01-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

I don't care about the new year. I don't bother making the same Dietary and Fitness resolutions anymore as they never last that long. Thankfully, my dad is taking 3 months off work to see if he's ready to retire (and to get in shape) so he is making HUGE changes in the house; he's mostly getting rid of any unhealthy foods...and sugar. This will allow me to eat healthier to as I wont have all my less healthy comfort foods to fall back on: peanut-butter (I only eat Adams Peanut Butter) and Cereal. As for getting in shape ... I get out of school early this semester and will have LOTS of time to go to the gym. The picture attatched to this post depicts a space shuttle at the moment of sonic boom.

Some Intersting Factoids.

2005-12-29T00:20:00.000-08:00

What do Fatal Hilarity, Gay Bombs, Supernumerary nipples, and Male Lactation have in common? I found out about them all from this website.

My Christmas Lego.

2005-12-25T15:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of what my Lego looked like upon completion.

My Christmas Post.

2005-12-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

For christmas this year, I got a brand new Canon Powershot A520 (as seen in provided picture); it's very nice. My brother (Max) and I took Kea for a walk at Gyro Park where I took a few pictures to test it out...you can find them on my Flickr Page. I also got some Lego (I always do) and a novel (Microserfs). Some Specs: - 4MP - 4x Optical Zoom - Power: 2AA's - Very Easy interface (I've never owned a camera before and I was easily able to take, view, and delete images and videos) - Has a mic for taking video clips in VGA

The New Set Up.

2005-12-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

I got a brand new 19" LCD monitor for my birthday. It is actually pretty shitty; it displays blue smudges on A LOT of things, especially greys and blacks. Anyways, here's what my desk looks like with my new monitor connected to my 12inch powerbook.

Representing Canada On Christmas Day.

2005-12-24T23:45:00.000-08:00

I would like to let my readers know that after representing Canada in Space Escape on December 25, 2005, I have succeded in bringing home a Gold Medal!

Another Addicting Game.

2005-12-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

Found another very fun/addicting game. You are in control of a floating propeler that you use to push a little cute blue (and blushing) blob thing around in a hot air balloon (the balloon is a giant replicate of the blob's cute blue blushing head). Naturally you will have to watch out for traps and baddies. The goal is to collect all the smiling stars in the level w/o having the hot air balloon popped. GO PLAY NOW

Lego Pictures.

2005-12-24T09:03:00.000-08:00

Found these awsome images of Lego sculptures. The image you can see now is my favourite from the collection. I used to play Lego ALL THE TIME when I was younger; I probably stopped playing all-to-get-her when I was in gr10. It bothers me (somewhat) when people refer to playing with Lego as "Playing with legoS"...no idea where they came up with adding the "s". Perhaps because they refer to each block of Lego as "a lego" and therefore when they play with multiple blocks of Lego, they are playing with "legos". Either way, it bothers me; please stop.

Death Cab Hires 12 Film Makers.

2005-12-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

Death Cab For Cutie have hired 12 film makers to create music videos for each of the twelve tracks on Plans. They will be releasing them one at a time on their website sometime in mid January. SOURCE

Segway Polo

2005-12-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, the Segway was released for sale to the public. Since then it has made a few appearences on a few TV shows and award shows, but has now grown into more than just an expensive transporation oddity. Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple (the brains behind Apple), has created a Segway Polo; the fusion of Polo and Segways... Here is a video of some guys play Segway Polo on a field.

TAI on TRL.

2005-12-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

The Academy Is is said to appear on MTV's TRL in mid-January. SOURCE This is great. If TAI play on TRl their fanbase should explode, which means they should sell more show tickets and CD's, which means they should make more money, which means they'll be able to afford more international tours, which means they may come play in Vancouver (or better yet, Victoria)

Band' O The Week: Hero Pattern

2005-12-16T00:30:00.000-08:00

Every week or so, I will feature a band that I really like. I will try to not feature well known bands as you don't need to hear from another Death Cab or Jimmy Eat World fan. I will always have the bands name in the title link to their purevolume website so you can listen to them as I will have. Basically, Hero Pattern is a catchy, upbeat, punk rock band that "sounds like everyone else"; and I like them.

Bush And His iPod.

2005-12-16T00:22:00.000-08:00

Seems as though President Bush uses a 20GB 4th Generation iPod and an iPod Shuffle. You can see proof of this here. He acts exactly how I would expect my mother or father to act if they were trying to use an iPod. It's pretty cute how he has to use reading glasses to read the iPods screen; guess that's why he's such a fan of the shuffle, besides the fact that he never knows what's gonna play next :o

DAVINCI CODE TRAILER.

2005-12-14T15:59:00.000-08:00

Check out the new trailer for The Davinci Code (THE MOVIE); it kicks ass; lots of well-known actors; can't wait.

A Revolution Demo.

2005-12-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

Theres a cool mock demo video of how the Nintendo Revolution will work. I perticularly like how the "remote" is used to control the F-Zero racer. The Revolution is the code name for Nintendo's next home console.

Guess What My Dog Ate.

2005-12-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

I have a sick story for those who care to listen: THE PREMIS: - I have a dog named Kea. - She always goes through the trash bin under my desk. - I always walk her and pick up her droppings. - I have to check her shit in case it is "wet" -- if it is, it means she has to be left on the deck overnight in case she has the runs somewhere in the house. SO...yesterday morning, I came down to my room to find some trash scattered about my floor; obviously Kea's doing. Later on Kaylee (THE GF) and are witness to her gagging... ...I then take her out for a "pee/poo" (a walk which ends when she has peed and pood). She stops to take a shit...guess what she shits out. XRATED ANSWER>> [A used condom.] She obviously had eaten it whilst going through my trash that morning, gagged on it later as it made its way into her stomach and than shat it out after it had slithered through her intestines. SICK.

Angels And Airwaves: A Trailer.

2005-12-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

Blink 182 broke up and out came Plus44 and Angels and Airwaves. Plus44 = Mark Hoppus (Blink bassist) and Travis Barker(Blink drummer). A&A = Tom Delonge (Blink Guitarist) and other guys that look/dress as expected. A&A has SUCH a better website; it looks exactly like the webpage for a movie called "Angels and Airwaves" would look like, and even features a trailer with great production value. I could have made the Plus44 website in an hour. They have a demo up somewhere, which is very forgetable. I have high hopes for A&A and almost none for +44. I liked boxcar racer though, so it is to be expected that I'd like A&A newayz.

A Computer Made This.

2005-12-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

An Addicting Game.

2005-12-11T17:19:00.000-08:00

This game is a lot of fun; you are presented with 20 images and given 20 seconds to guess a keyword that all the images have in common. Basically, what would you search for in Google Images that would return all these images, hence the name "Guess-the-Google". Very fun. Check it out.

Pointless?

2005-12-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

It happened again; another day of no hits. Check out this cute lil' graph I pulled from my Google Analytics page. For those of you who'd rather read my blog instead of check out my picture, I shall elaborate: This Sunday, my page received NO page views and NO visits. I really have no idea what is the difference. I must also clarify that I am only talking about those who visit my blog via lukeES.com; there were also no page views or visits to lseeley.blogspot.com. I will persevere. I saw Narnia a few nights ago; not nearly as good as any of the LOTR movies (like duh!), but still a very enjoyable, entertaining, and Christian movie (Aslan sacrificing himself for the sins of Edmond and then reincarnating? - ASLAN = JESUS). I hope they make movies for the other books; I enjoyed all the other books more than The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. --------------> 8/10 (loses 2 for some corny acting and underwhelming battle scenes)

Sceintist On Purevolume.

2005-12-08T00:03:00.000-08:00

I have been known to record songs on GarageBand. I have now uploaded them to purevolume.com/scientist which can be accessed via direct link or the music tab on lukeES.com.

Grand Theft Auto: Lego City

2005-12-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

HERE is a fun/clever video someone made for a preview of GTA: Lego City.

Panorama Face.

2005-12-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

The people behind panocamera.com have created a full panorama of a human head...very creepy stuff.

MySpace, Meet PureSpace.

2005-12-06T19:27:00.000-08:00

Purevolume has had its website redesigned. While the main page has pretty much not changed (looks nicer though), the artists' pages have changed quite a lot. The "Pure Player" takes up a lot more room and features album art. The artist stats have naow been moved to the STATS tab, which shares its lot with the LABEL tab. There are also a lot for FANS, FREINDS, and COMMENTS tabs. Looks a lot better now; MUCH MUCH MUCH better than MySpace.