Blog Notes: That’s A Wrap For Today

Bah. Why should I be doing this when I could be listening to the music of my MySpace Friends?

So that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

Band recommendations in the future.

Most likely no blogging this weekend. The weather threatens to be great and I need some book-reading time.

eBookery For iPhone?

Open Library goes online with public domain book collection

the open library

If you have an iPhone and you try this and blog about it, drop me a line and I’ll link to you.

No Comments For You Here. Evah.

And all of you thought I was just some cranky bastard who wouldn’t put up with your shit.

Well, there’s that too…

Quote Of The Day: iPhone

A Commentard at The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs:

Yo Steve!
I was in SF, CA, USA this week, and got to hold the mighty iPhone in my hand for a few minutes. It was almost as strong experience as holding a girl’s hand for the first time. Big!

The Greatest Feat In The History Of Mankind

Moon landing

The first manned moon landing on Earth’s Moon was the United States’ Apollo 11 mission, commanded by Neil Armstrong accompanied by Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin. Armstrong landed the lunar module Eagle on the surface of the Moon at 4:17:42 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, July 20, 1969. They spent a day on the surface of the Moon and then returned to Earth. A total of six such manned moon landings were carried out between 1969 and 1972. The Soviet Union later achieved sample returns via the unmanned moon landings Luna 16, Luna 20 and Luna 24. Since this was during the time of the cold war the contest to be the first on the Moon became known as the space race.

If you weren’t alive then to witness that, you have my pity.

Bonus: The Real Story of Apollo 11 – Stranger than Fiction.avi — a free documentary on Google Video that reveals details that had been kept hidden for years and years.

When You Lack Talent, Imagination, And Have a Rep For Robbing Everyone, What’s Left To Do? Legalized Looting.

Canadian iPod levy assumes you’re a criminal first, asks questions never

Essentially what this means is, if you buy an iPod or similar device in Canada, soon you’ll automatically be assumed to pirate music illegally, and will be forced to pay a small fee up front to the recording industry as penance. It’s like getting a parking ticket while your car is still in the garage.

I don’t engage in hyperbole, goddammit.

Hey, iPhone, Zune, and Zen: you get looted too!

Now go see Paddy Chayefsky for instructions.

Google To Everyone Else: Drop Dead

Our commitment to open broadband platforms

Oh! Google reveals its opening bid to steal the American cellphone market from Apple (and everyone else!):

In the U.S., wireless spectrum for mobile phones and data is controlled by a small group of companies, leaving consumers with very few service providers from which to choose. With that in mind, last week, as the federal government prepares for what is arguably its most significant auction of wireless spectrum in history, we urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules to make sure that regardless of who wins the spectrum at auction, consumers’ interests are the top priority. Specifically, we encouraged the FCC to require the adoption of four types of “open” platforms as part of the auction:

* Open applications: consumers should be able to download and utilize any software applications, content, or services they desire;
* Open devices: consumers should be able to utilize their handheld communications device with whatever wireless network they prefer;
* Open services: third parties (resellers) should be able to acquire wireless services from a 700 MHz licensee on a wholesale basis, based on reasonably nondiscriminatory commercial terms; and
* Open networks: third parties (like Internet service providers) should be able to interconnect at any technically feasible point in a 700 MHz licensee’s wireless network.

Unless Apple has its own complementary poker hand to play, I’d say the game is now Google’s.

Is there really going to be a gPhone by the end of this year?

Nokia: Hankkiutua Sinun Hautajaiset

Wow. What a puff piece Business Week has run!

Why Nokia Is Leaving Moto in the Dust
Phones for high- and low-end consumers, a great supply chain, and lots of cash—the Finnish company has it all (except the iPhone)

“Maybe the iPhone will be very successful,” says Martin Garner, director of wireless intelligence for London market researcher Ovum. “Does that knock Nokia off its perch? I don’t think so.”

How long do people think Nokia’s fat-assed ugly brick high-end phones will last against the iPhone? Apparently the above soon-to-be-unemployed-for-being-too-fucking-stupid market wonk thinks Nokia has a future.

Yeah, right. This guy’s grandfather was probably famous for consulting to Chamberlain for “peace in our time.”

Previously in this blog:
Nokia’s Creative Bankruptcy Continues Full Speed Ahead!
Microsoft, Palm, And Nokia: You Better Be Freaking Out!!
Oh, Look At The Pathetic Stalkers!
LifeDrive Notes: Final WiFi Unfun
Cheap Is As Cheap Does, So Don’t Buy Cheap!
The Nokia 770 Is Not Dead Yet: Except To Me
Nokia Hätäkeino Sen Oma Peräruiske*
It’s A Phone, You Life-Deprived Eejits! A P-h-o-n-e!
Nokia 770: Now 99.9% Shit!
It’s Time To Stop Looking At Cheap Devices!
OQO: Tough Shit
Oh Look! Just Like My Nokia 770 Nightmare!
Why Does The Truth Always Come Out Too Damned Late?!!?
Don’t Beg Those Bastards! Boycott Their Shit!
A Horror Of Lovecraftian Proportions
Hey, Nokia! This Is How Quality Works!
Welcome, Apple. Seriously. (Not!)
WTF?!!? Will The Nokia N800 Be Worth Buying After All? (Updated: No.)
Like This Shit Is News?
770 Shitcanned By Nokia
Nokia 770: The Endgame
Coming Real Soon Now: My FINAL Nokia Post
Nokia N800: Still Shit!
CrunchGear Has Balls!
Blame the Nokia 770, Dammit!
Nokia 770: Now Twice As Shitty
Nokia 770 Plumbs New Depths Of Shit!
Nokia 770 Gets Shittier
Is Nokia Delusional?
Nokia 770 Regains Shit Title
There Is A Right Way, And There Is The Nokia Way
Is Nokia Totally Incompetent?
Are You Nokia 770 Owners Nuts?!!?
Nokia: Please Unshackle Me!
(Anti-) Progress Report

Fuck Quaker Oats!

Oh yeah, I did go out on a hunting party last night to find and buy up the last remaining stocks of the crunchy oatmeal bars those bastards have discontinued.

I got six boxes (photographic proof next week). I would have gotten more but that was all I could carry at the time. (I had two bags of other things with me.)

I will go out again today on this pathetic mission.

If there is one bright spot, those morons want to clear the shelves of this great product fast fast fast. I got them for $1.99 — $2.00 off the MSRP!

Fuck you, Quaker Oats. I hope your new Sweet & Salty abomination has some kind of secret Chinese ingredient that causes seizures and shit and that you pay through your idiotic ass for your error!

Fuck You, Shills!

In the past few months I’ve been contacted by representatives of companies who are under the insane delusion that I Might Like To Mention Their Motherfucking Shitass Product.

No.

That is not how this blog works.

This blog is a reflection of my interests and my contempts.

I don’t like it when some asshole being paid bucks to contact people contacts me in order to fulfill their work quota for the day.

Saying you have or that you represent a product is the fastest way to get on my Fuck You List (oh, there’s room for lots more of you so don’t worry about not making the cut!).

I don’t care what the product is. Fuck off.

If it’s good, I’ll find out about it on my own and maybe mention it.

If it’s not good, consider yourself lucky for my not tearing it to pieces in front of your eyes.

And if it turns out to be a bullshit product with pretensions of value that’s actually masking nothing but shit, I will never ever forgive nor will I ever ever forget.

Just ask Nokia.