apparently Northern Michigan is still trapped in the ’80s…

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Isn’t that about when garage door openers first came out, when they were “the next big thing”?

I came across this press release when I was working on an upcoming article and despite the fact that it’s technically a year old, it still frightens me just how behind in the times they are…

Mackinac Bridge Authority rolls out new “push-button” technology to further streamline commuter crossings

Basically, they’ve developed a transponder with a button like a garage-door opener to trigger and open the toll gates after crossing the bridge. Concept is – you pull up to the gates, press your new Mackinac Bridge garage door opener, and the gates open after the toll is subtracted from your account.

Call me crazy, but why go through all of the hassles of transponders if you’re just going to cut technology off at the pass at the last minute?! We have them all over the place down here – toll roads, apartment complexes, and even the parking garage at work opens off of a transponder that hangs from my rear-view mirror. If this is supposed to speed things up for commuters, why not remove the gates altogether and work them like SunPass works for us down here? You have cameras setup for those who choose to whip through without paying, and this way people can continue their 35 mph from the bridge right on through the toll plaza and back to I-75.

Or you could just give everybody garage door openers…whatever works for you!

a nice view in HD…

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I watched bits and pieces of The Fellowship of the Ring in HD tonight – very nice, indeed!

I always find it interesting to flip back and forth between the standard broadcast and the HD version to compare just how much better the HD really does look. A friend of mine at work just recently bought an ED (enhanced definition) plasma TV and has been trying to convince me that it looks just as good as HD, but I remember doing that very comparison last summer and frankly, there’s just no contest. There are reasons that the next format was chosen to be HD and not ED, and Rivendel is one of those reasons! 😉

Almost makes me wonder if I’m going to regret dumping all of that money into DVDs after blu-ray comes out and Hollywood scrambles to re-release our favorite titles at $30 a piece as high quality, HD versions. I see that Shark Tale is one of the offerings on HD Pay-per-View this week, so I might just have to clear a bit of my schedule this weekend for some fun under the sea…

damn squatters

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I think there should be a rule that if you have a legitimate idea for a website that you want to create and one of these stupid search engines has your preferred domain name already registered…along with 10,000 other slight variations…they should be required to sell the domain over to you for only the registration fee. I came up with a great name today at work to salvage some of the old Just Laugh content, but its already being held by some mysterious cyber-squatter in the Grand Caymans… 😛

It is up for renewal near the end of October – maybe I’ll just have to keep an eye out and try to swoop in if he doesn’t renew…what a pain.

…and that’s why I bank with Wachovia.

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Case in point – just received the new credit card that I applied for from Wachovia (0% until 2007 – woo hoo!). The card was activated maybe an hour and a half ago.

Sent a quick e-mail to their online services group asking that the new account be added to my profile with my other existing accounts – received the standard auto-reply e-mail that I’d hear back from them within one business day.

Log back into online services thirty-eight minutes later to double check the balance in my checking account. New credit card has already been added to my profile!

5/3 couldn’t have dreamed of providing service like this… 🙂

quite the lama, indeed…

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I don’t remember where exactly I found this, but good stuff nonetheless – straight from the Dalai Lama himself…

Instructions for Life:
1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

so tired…

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Tonight I set a new record for myself – 641 calories in 55 minutes on the eliptical … I feel very good, but very tired! 😛

Weekend To-Dos:

  • (money) – balance mid-month budget and pay bills
  • (writing)– get “the backlog” down to 20 columns by Saturday night; start working on upcoming paid articles
  • (exercise)– workout Friday night and Saturday morning … Sunday is optional because I actually kept to schedule this week!
  • (misc) – wash, vacuum, clean-out car because it’s getting to that point again
  • (fun) – not quite sure yet, but I think I need to get out and do something Sunday if I can manage to get everything else done … any suggestions?

caveat emptor, indeed…

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P.S. Why I need to remember not to buy DVDs from people on eBay:

http://ssevener.textamerica.com/?r=3035490
http://ssevener.textamerica.com/?r=3035510

Sure, the disc is “in perfect condition, only watched once,” and yet the case gets smashed via shipping and I’m stuck because I didn’t pay for the insurance. Of course, we won’t even mention the fact that had the manufacturer used real cases instead of those cheaper, crap cardboard ones, I’d have been able to just replace the case.

Six bucks as opposed to twelve from BestBuy.com, but at least Best Buy knows how to ship their products… 🙁