phpBB Podcast

I’m happy to announce that a few members of The phpBB Group, including me, have gotten together to create a podcast about everyone’s favorite forum software. If you’re into that sort of thing, I suggest you take a look!

http://www.phpbb-podcast.com/blog/

Kelly Clarkson gets drunk and goes metal

Just try to tell me she doesn’t fucking rock.

Alberto Gonzales is a dumbshit.

While being questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee on the recent NSA wiretapping scandal, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales stated the following:

“I gave in my opening statement examples where President Washingtion, President Lincoln, President Wilson, [and] President Roosevelt all have authorized electronic surveillance on a far broader scale.”

How fucking stupid does this administration think we are?

I give up. I’m simply ashamed to be associated with Bush and his spin anymore. When you start using presidents who didn’t even have running water as scapegoats for a wiretapping scandal, you’ve gone too low.

I’ll still consider myself a Republican, but I’m not part of the Republican Party. I’ve lost what little respect I still had for the GOP.

Hat tip: The Colbert Report

Contribute to the “Brian Needs a New Mac” Fund

Today, Apple introduced two new products to the world (along with a bunch of software I don’t care much about). We learned of the new iMac and the MacBook Pro, both running Intel Core Duo processors. This change in architecture comes with performance increases of up to five times that of the PowerBook G4 1.67GHz. And I have a PowerBook G4 1.25GHz.

Obviously, I’m stuck in the dark ages. If you want to help lil’ ol’ me purchase a new computer, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll email you my PayPal info.

Help me out. It’s only $2500.

Facebook users play prank on cops

This is perhaps the funniest story I’ve heard concerning social networking sites.

As far as Kyle Stoneman is concerned, the campus police were the ones who started the Facebook wars. “We were just being, well, college students, and they used it against us,” says Mr. Stoneman, a senior at George Washington University in Washington. He is convinced that the campus security force got wind of a party he and some buddies were planning last year by monitoring Facebook.com, the phenomenally popular college networking site. The officers waited till the shindig was in full swing, Mr. Stoneman grouses, then shut it down on discovering under-age drinking.

Mr. Stoneman and his friends decided to fight back. Their weapon of choice? Facebook, of course.

Once again they used the site, which is visited by more than 80 percent of the student body, to chat up a beer blast. But this time, when the campus police showed up, they found 40 students and a table of cake and cookies, all decorated with the word “beer.” “We even set up a cake-pong table,” a twist on the beer-pong drinking game, he says. “The look on the faces of the cops was priceless.” As the coup de grâce, he posted photographs of the party on Facebook, including a portrait of one nonplussed officer.

via BoingBoing

Talk about an embarrassing use of the internet as a surveillance medium.

An Apology in Advance

I’d like to take a minute and thank all of my friends and colleagues, in advance, for putting up with me over the next few days. You see, today is the second Sunday of January. While that doesn’t mean much to most people, it means a hellavalot to those of us who follow a certain religion: Apple.

To most of you, this probably isn’t making any sense. Two days from now, on January 10, 2006, the CEO of Apple Computer will take his place onstage at San Francisco’s Moscone Center and deliver his yearly MWSF Keynote.

On Tuesday of the second week of each new year, Steve Jobs announces new and updated Apple products to an audience of more than 5,000 adoring users. He has become such an icon that many have called him “the closest thing to a rock star you’ll find in business”.

So once again, I apologize to all you and I hope you’ll bear with me as I incessantly and ecstaticly wait for, talk about, pine after, and evangelize whatever it is Mr. Jobs has up his sleeve. And don’t worry – it’ll all be over by Thursday morning. Just give me 36 hours to get it out of my system.

Rackmount Micro server giveaway

To celebrate the holidays, Rackmount Micro is giving away a server! We’re also offering several great deals valid now until January 10, 2006, so check it out:

http://www.rackmountmicro.com/

The server drawing is free to enter, asks for very little information, and is only open for the next month!

Bison meat is damn good

On the way to take my business partner to the airport, we decided to stop in Denver at Ted’s Montana Grill for lunch. I had never been there before but was intrigued at the prospect of trying bison meat for the first time.

I have to say, for $22, my Kansas City Strip cut of bison was incredibly delicious. Ted’s cooked it to perfection. This steak is second only to dinner for my birthday this year, when David took me to Morton’s Steak House. Of course, it cost less for four to eat at Ted’s than for two at Morton’s, so I’d say Ted’s bison steaks have a better cost-to-utility ratio.

Anyway, I highly recommend you try bison. It has a similar taste and texture to beef, but is more buttery and practically melts in your mouth.

Man is shot over bomb claim; People become increasingly stupid

Since yesterday afternoon’s bomb scare in Miami and the subsequent shooting of Rigoberto Alpizar, I’ve talked with many people via AIM about what happened. While most were quite understanding of why officers shot and killed the suspected bomber, some took the opposite view.

At least five people I spoke with stated that he didn’t deserve to die. Two said that killing one man to save several hundred (or thousand) without having an real evidence wasn’t legitimate. At least two more said that, since he had a reported mental disorder, the authorities should have taken his claim with a grain of salt.

How stupid do you have to be to think that someone claiming they have a bomb in an airport and then reaches into the bag he’s carrying shouldn’t be taken down? As for the “reported” mental disorder (bipolar disorder, to be specific, which does not cause dillusions but is often attributed to suicide attempts), can you really expect the cops who are running after a suspected bomber to stop and ask if the man might have a mental disability?

Seriously, folks, get a clue. With so many witnesses, this is the most cut-and-dry shooting reported by international news in years.

Mono is awesome

No, not that kind of Mono.

Joystiq put up an article a little while ago on a game called Mono. I’ve been playing it for the last half hour, and man is it addicting!

The game takes influences from Robotron and is basically Asteroids on speed. I am positive anyone who loves fast-paced arcade classics will absolutely love this game.

The only sad thing is that it’s PC only. If you know a Mac alternative, please comment. I want to take this game wherever I go!