More iPhone rumors

Internet discussions are building steam concerning a June 2008 release of iPhone 3G. I have a tendency to believe that Apple can't resist tempting millions of Americans with freshly printed tax rebate checks. A release of the new model would certainly go hand-in-hand with the governments economic stimulus plan - aka Operation Spend that Money

Of course I would feel much better if we heard this information directly from CEO Steve Jobs.

Here are the latest internet clippings about the 3G phone.

Ars Technica.com - Not so sure about June 08 release

TalkiPhone.com - June production and release

CrunchGear - Fox reports iPhone in June

Sunday morning after ramblings

Just a few items worth blogging about this morning......

A few of you may be into the latest technological devices on the market. I am a techno-freak. If it blinks, buzzes or beeps......its for me. I have recently discovered that I have a always had a thermometer/navigational system in my presence for which I was not consciously (I think I was ignoring it) aware. You have heard of Tom-Tom? I have Lyn-Lyn. "Turn left, turn right, slow down, you missed the exit, go back, there's a cop, COP!" Who needs a $300 device when I have Lyn-Lyn who provides navigational guidance AND can predict the exact air temperature just by venturing outside to walk the dog. It is truly amazing. :-/

Last night Lyn-Lyn and I ventured out to a WomenOutFront event featuring Tret Fure. You may remember her from the Chris & Tret duo. The whole Chris & Tret thing predates my life as a lesbian so shameful to say....I am not familiar with her music today or their music yesterday. She gave a very good performance and I think everyone present enjoyed the show. I was lucky enough to talk to her before her performance and we chatted about the current political campaigns and what we think is going to happen if Hillary is nominated or Barack is nominated. Her fears are the same as mine. If Barack wins, we may have more Hillary supporters swinging to the McCain side since they do have some similarities. As you recall, McCain was a supporter of civil unions up until the time he officially started thinking about running for president - then he did an about face to gain the evangelical vote. If Barack wins the nomination and McCain starts courting the gay vote.......he may gain the Hillary supporters who just can't vote for Barack. It is a big mess indeed.

At some point during the evening, there was food involved. I fixed a couple of small plates for Lyn-Lyn and I - identical food on each plate. However, identical food items aside, only one of us had the thrill on of an ongoing gastro-intestinal free-for-all shortly after we left the event. My navigational system Lyn-Lyn was seriously disabled all evening and into the wee hours of the morning. Yeah.....there shouldn't be a germ left in her body after this all-night fiesta. Egads!

I am happy to report that after almost a full bottle of Gatorade she is recuperating quietly. She must be feeling better because she is currently watching a Food Network show about the history of hotdogs. I am not allowed to order in any food at this point for the fear of starting up the carnival rides in her stomach again so I think I am now forced to eat alone this afternoon. So it looks like it will be a quiet Sunday afterall.

Oy vey!

The Oysters Won

Those of you who frequent this blog, or have ever had more than a 20 minute conversation with Rita, know she celebrates a self-proclaimed holiday each March.

It's called Oysterfest. Today was the, uh, opening shuck.

I don't care for oysters. Slimey, fried, smoked, drowning in peppered vodka, or any of the 47 other ways they appear on the menu.

But I'm loyal. And they do have half-price bar items from 4-7.

Y'all will be glad to know she's survived and is crashed on the sofa in an oyster (vodka?) coma.

March madness indeed.

The L Word

Ok.....we now know that this pitiful season was not a dream and that next season is indeed the last season of The L Word.

Last night's episode was a good one. While I was happy to see Helena come in and save the day with "The Planet" I was struck by the sense of pity I had for Jenny when she walked in on Shane and Nikki. Yes yes I know.....I am the one (along with countless others) who thought Jenny should be killed off in some freakish movie set accident because I was simply fed up of all of her "big headed" antics. I did feel empathetic when she walked in on those two "in action". It was Shane at her finest but I never thought she would do it to Jenny. I think in those types of situations there really isn't much thinking going on period.

So now what could in store with Season Six? I surely hope that the last season is filled with some creative writing moments with storylines that don't teeter on the edge of lunacy. Let's get back to the basics. I hope they can end the season with a few surprises but with closed chapters so that we are not all sitting there wondering what more could have been.

Sunday evening ramblings

I was reminded today that I haven't posted in awhile. Not that I needed that reminder because I was fully aware that I just didn't have anything intriguing to blog about this week.

But alas......last night was the Springsteen concert. I was very impressed. He is quite the act on stage for a 58 year old man. The crowd at the concert was much as I expected - 40 to 55 year old people. There were a few under 30 who attended with their parents. It was quite nice to see dads and sons or nuclear families all enjoying the music of a legendary songwriter. I would suspect that most of the 80's bands (Styx, REO Speedwagon, The Police, etc) have similar age group attendance when they perform special shows from time to time.

Overall it was a great show. He played most of the songs from his new album, Magic. I highly recommend that you take a listen to this compilation. The whole "E-Street Band" sound is unmistakable. It's like a walk down memory lane. Anywhoooo.....he had a four song encore (which was a tad bit disappointing since his other shows had five or six) which really rocked the house. He started with Glory Days then moved to Born to Run, Dancing in the Dark and ended with American Land. While he had audience participation throughout the show, the arena was more alive during the first three songs of the encore. All in all a job well done.

Today I enjoyed a Easter brunch at my mothers and then spent the afternoon working on some small projects around the house. What is it about a sunshiny day.....despite the temperature....that makes you just want to get out and start those Spring projects. It was a bit chilly here and I have been begging Mother Nature to begin the "warming up" process. Hasn't the first day of Spring passed or was it today? (sigh) I am not asking for much here....just a little warm up so I can really get started with my plantings, landscaping, and garage reorganization.

Those who were suggesting that I post something may be disappointed in this rather mundane post today. Ahhh well.....this week will surely prove to be a lively and busy week for me and I know that I will not have to look far for more entertaining fodder.

TA TA!

Six Word Memoir

Thanks to Martini Cartwheels for tagging us with this interesting task on a Saturday night!



The Six Word Memoir
The rules are:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!



Who needs carb free foods anyway?

Misadventures of Oscar

This gives new meaning to the term "cathouse" methinks. The cat tent was a present from Lyn to the cats for which she is highly allergic.


I really didn't know which one would settle into it - if either one of them would at all! Oscar is attracted to boxes and bags so it was kinda expected that he would claim this as his own.

Campaign mutterings of the week

This has been an interesting week in the Presidential campaign - for the Democrats that is. The Republicans are snoozing on the back porch while Hillary and Barack duke it out.

A couple of observations that everyone surely is seeing and hearing on the news. It appears that the vetting of Barack Obama in this campaign is starting to kick into gear. After hearing nothing but good words about him for the last year, we have begun to hear some smatterings of typical campaign jabbing that all candidates running for office are expected to endure. Geraldine Ferraro had a few things to say about the potential biases and then of course the pastor of Barack's church was outed for his controversial sermons at the pulpit.

Now what I don't like to see is the race card being played every time something is uncovered in Barack's past (or present) or when he is criticized. I think we have seen Hillary criticized as much as she can possible be criticized - and God knows there is probably more out there that someone can dredge up - but to avoid discussing or criticizing Barack's shortcomings or past political decisions just because he is an African-American is wrong. He is to be judged by all of his outstanding achievements as well as his mistakes - fair and balanced.

This is what running for office means folks. Your clean laundry and your dirty laundry are hung out for the world to see. It is showcased in the political ads and debated among every political talk show host on every political program. No one is safe when you are running for office. We have to get a grip here. If we do not know about his failures or shortcomings then we cannot make a valid decision at the polls.

Which brings me to my next topic. There is such a close race going on between Hillary and Barack why do we think that the Hillary supporters will rally behind Barack - or vice versa - when it comes to the general election? I am growing fearful that these two "history defining" candidates are SOOO big that it may just land a Republican back in office. Those conservative independents that may have voted for Hillary in the primaries may not vote for Barack in the main election.

Whomever lands the Democratic nomination is going to have a tough road against John McCain anyway. We don't need the divisiveness occurring in our party right now. Speculation abounds about who Hillary or Barack will choose for their running mate. I am not sure that Hillary can win without Barack nor could Barack win without Hillary.

Now McCain is an old man. He cannot win a foot race with Barack or Hillary. However, he has several months to prepare himself for a race against either of the Democratic candidates. He will strike hard. I am not so sure that the Democratic run for office has not gotten so out of hand that we have forgotten why we are doing all of this. I am not so sure that Barack Obama has the intestinal fortitude to win in a general election based on the last year of campaigning. The snowballs that he has been thrown are not the same balls that he will be thrown if he is the nominee.

The fact that he has had a pretty easy time of it thus far could end up hurting all of us if a Republican is elected into office again.

The Sum Total.

... of Lynt's IKEA excursion =

1 pr. salad tongs
1 utensil container
1 lazy susan
1 cat container...

Well, it's really a cat hiding place/tent. It just sounded more in keeping with the decidedly kitchen theme of my purchases to have you visualizing a cat in, well, a container.

But I digress.

That's sort of how my IKEA grand opening trip left me feeling. Distracted. Random. Like a cat pawing at a shiny toy one second, then, hey, there's another one.

But there was one thing missing.

No Abba.

IKEA

Well....tomorrow it happens. IKEA has its Grand Opening in Cincinnati. There is certainly a lot of hype surrounding these stores and I just don't know what the fascination is exactly. I have heard stories about people who have traveled across the U.S. just to shop in one. These stores are the Swedish answer to what? WalMart? KMart? Costco? I hear they sell everything from beds to Swedish meatballs........yeah....it figures right?

I am a bit bemused by it all.

On the other hand........Lyn cannot wait to enter those blue and yellow doors. She yearns to stride slowly up and down the aisles without her pesty girlfriend saying...."Can we go now?"
Ahhh yes.....I can see her now........eyes glazed over, drooling slightly and tightly clinging to her 10% off coupon. Hopefully in this condition she will not be run over by some small child whose mother decided that it was a good idea that her youngster skip school on this day.

However there is hope. Since all of the furniture must be assembled, I am hoping that her shopping will be constrained to meatballs and perhaps a decorative lamp. You simply cannot haul very much in a four door Honda coupe. But alas.....I am sure that she will take down ample product numbers so that we can both make the pilgrimage back to the store over the weekend. (sigh) There may be no winning for me with this one.

Ahhh well....it is her birthday tomorrow and because it is "her day" she is entitled to make the best of it........especially on a Wednesday. (I hate birthdays in the middle of the week)

So if you have ever shopped at an IKEA and you can fill me in on all its wonder, please do. I really am amazed at what is occurring with this store. They are currently camping out in the store parking lot and standing in line as we speak.

Who does that?

Girls just wanna have fun

Ohhhhhh....and how much fun it will be with the True Colors Tour happening this year in a city near you. The HRC and Cyndi Lauper team up to produce this musical event to raise awareness of GLBT issues during this election year.

It seems like a very good show. Rosie will be headlining along with the likes of the B-52's, Indigo Girls, Joan Jett and countless others. I have a feeling as this show makes its way around the U.S. we will see other entertainers making surprise appearances as well.

It is a 24 city tour and the closest it gets to Cincinnati is Chicago or Atlanta. All of the major cities are well represented in this tour so there should be ample opportunity to plan ahead for a little road trip. Check it out!

Snow related ramblings

Blizzard. This is one word that you don't hear very often in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana but we have been hearing it for the last 15 hours on the news. To my friends in the Northeast.......it is well on its way to your door. If they are calling it a blizzard here I can't imagine what this system will be like when it is full blown in Massachusetts and Maine.

I think I have at least 6 inches in my driveway that must be shoveled at some point. We are supposed to get another 3 or 4 inches by 4pm this afternoon. I am not so sure of this based on the current radar picture. Its really not the snow that is the big issue - its the winds. Brrrrrrrr They cut right through ya.

It ain't all bad though. I am in the process of making a big pot of chili and that will cook for few hours while I shovel and continue some "marthafication" updates around the house. Speaking of chili, I bought into a quarter of a steer with my family and now I have enough meat to make 30 pots of chili this year alone. So not having enough food through this is not an issue. Mooooooo!

At some point I will go over to Lyn's house today and shovel her drive and walk because she is holding out for the HOA to do this chore for her. "This is what I am paying them for", she says. It doesn't happen. One day I am going to end up flat on my back in her drive, unconscious and she won't realize it until the time she takes the dog out for a walk - which could be hours after I whacked my cranium against the concrete.

I had thought that this wasn't all bad..........now I am thinking that there is indeed a serious health risk if I leave my house. I think I will just stay home and eat chili..........

What's wrong with this picture?

Nothing. It is a picture of "business as usual", a routine "changing of the guard" and "the status quo".

Bush and "Bush the Sequel" shaking hands in the Rose Garden today after Dubya endorses his Republican twin for our next president.

Nothing good can come from John McCain becoming the next President of the United States. The quick sand that we have been stranded in for the last eight years will get thicker and deeper and will consume every last drop of air left in the lungs of our American society.

Take note of this picture and remember long and hard of where we were and what we have become as a nation since Dubya took office. His endorsement of McCain means more of the same until 2012.

The Boss

Bruce Springsteen

Surely the name conjures up one or two songs almost immediately even if you aren't a fan. I mean the man has had umpteen albums across a 30 year span so there has to be one song that comes to mind when you hear his name.

I was in college when his most popular album (yeah....albums. Go Google it.) Born In The U.S.A. hit the airways. I hadn't listened to it in a long time when it came on Sirius last week. Sooo many hits on that album. It was also our first introduction to Courtney Cox. As you recall she was the babe that Bruce pulled up on stage during his video "Dancin In The Dark". Yeah...now how many of you thought.....hmmm...she's a cutie. And the whole swinging of the arms back and forth to the song.....good gawd....bad dancing at its best.

He comes to Cincinnati on March 22nd with the E Street Band. Lyn and I have tickets. This is my first Springsteen show but I know that I will not be disappointed. Love him or hate him you have to admit he is a legend in the music industry. We could make comparisons all night against some of the greats but I think most greats have a place all to their own. Music genres are different and the times for which the music was hot based on society makes a difference.

He is one of my top five songwriters of all time. So this month I am dedicating my normal blog video selection to some of his new stuff - his Magic cd is great - and some of his classic old stuff.

What is it about some songs that take us right back to a certain place in time? He certainly has a wide variety of music that everyone is bound to remember just one..............

Security for Dummies? @$@#%&^!

...or weekend rant.

Ri thinks I'm using Working The Room for ranting and humor, and leaving my serious posts for Late Night Latte. Not true. I just happened to mention my recent online security challenge to Ri this morning and her reponse gave me pause. Rewind...

So I get up early, go the gym, settle in to pay some bills. Maybe, joy of joys, even pay off a credit card. Thus begins the quest for online account balance information with one of THE largest banking giants out there, which happens to own my mortgage and, oh yeah, the credit card with the good interest rate.

I've been a customer for at least the four-plus years I've had the mortgage, but never really felt the need for online access since it's not my everyday bank. And yes, I do realize I could have simply picked up the phone and accessed my balance that way. But no, online CONVENIENCE.

So the process goes something like this:

1) Find web address on back of card. Go to site.
2) Determine which of the many account access options I need to pursue. Click.
3) Read the login screen, determine that no, I didn't forget or lose my username and/or password -- I never had one. Click.
4) Create user name -- but first, read instructions regarding online security. Create username that is so complex I will never actually understand how I created it.
5) Link it to account number and enter access code. Access code? What the heck? Click link for detail.
6) Choose how I want to receive my access code: phone call, text message, or e-mail. Phone call/text being the only option guaranteed to grant me immediate access. Okay, choose phone.
7) Which number? Home phone? Work phone? Or one of the three choices I don't recognize, but which may, in fact, have belonged to me at some previous point. How do they know this? Hmm. Choose home. Click.
8) Promised access code to be delivered by phone in less than 2 minutes. Rinnnnnng. Access code retrieved. Could that be right? Hit 1 to repeat this message. Ah.
9) Input access code and choose proceed to password creation, step 3 of 6.
10) Warning -- this program is not compatible with Windows Vista... go back, go back.
11) Crap. Your access code is now expired. Four screens later... choose how you wish to receive your access code. Oh. My. God.
12) We're sorry, that access code is already affiliated with another user name. Yes! Me, dammit.
13) Click on Need Help? Yes, or have some wine. But it's only about 7:45 a.m. so that may not be a good idea.
14) Wait... what's that? I can create a password. But remember, it must be blah, blah, blah. It's more than 15 characters -- does that work for you?
15) Password accepted. A full 40 minutes AFTER I started this process. By this time, I no longer care what my balance is...

...but I do decide to share my annoyance at this system, and what seems to be a bit more complicated security effort than would seem necessary, with Rita.

Her reponse, creator of IT/data process/management something or other that she is, is basically that it's our own fault, we, the bank users of this world, demanded security. IT folks responded. So live with it.

URRRGGGHHH.