Lets recap the last few weeks so we can get over this latest long and awkward pause.
I've almost convinced myself that the humans who "played" and "coached" soccer for the United States were impersonators placed there by the Bush administration in an effort to ease tensions with partner nations in the Coalition of the Willing — that has to be it. Meanwhile the real team has been locked away in Area 51.
After weeks of planning and negotiation, Airbag has signed a very large contract with Lexblog to provide web strategy and production management services. The impact that this will have on the future of my corporation marks a milestone that I look forward to reminiscing about years from now. There will be other, related, announcements made in the near future.
This morning I was notified, yet again, that my friends and I have won at Blingo. So far this month has brought six iTunes gift certificates and some cash (thanks Jeff). I think it's time they just started giving me Class-C stock in the company instead of these door prizes. I could play the part of Bill Shatner and spew into the camera: Search net lingo, Search with Blingo.
The soccer thing is still pissing me off. Grrr.
The Wall Street Journal now appears at my door each weekday morning. I love the tactile feel, smell, and sound of using a newspaper. Devouring a newspaper used to be reserved for the weekends but I'm going to take the WSJ challenge and see if it really has an impact on my business like the commercials claim. If not I'm going to call Jessica and tell her that my newspaper is broken.
Last weekend I spent a total of sixteen hours in a car to go there and back. Sometime in the middle of this road trip we attended a wedding the likes which I had yet to witness. I've heard of theme weddings but something about renaissance costumes under direct sunlight in one-hundred and ten degree heat wasn't supper-happy-fun-time. That said it was a wedding and I'm happy for the couple. And no, I was not in period garb but I did consider showing up as a Stormtrooper and then pretend not to have received the memo about Medieval Times. Two more weddings to go.
I was hoping that Ghana would pull off a miracle yesterday and defeat Brazil. While they didn't win, Ghana played with zeal and it has been one of the better games of this Cup, so far.
The Volkswagen Touareg makes for a great road trip vehicle. It's too bad VW can't make their products sell better in the US market. I think Josh is right, they need to bring in more of their European line to the States.
My Tivo has done a piss-pour job of recording every World Cup game. I'm paying this thing good money to record television programming but it's doing the work of a large plate warmer. Fortunately California is an "at-will" state so when I go to fire Tivo I won't have to worry about a lawsuit. I have an impressive application from a Mac mini and I'm thinking of giving it the job.
Flooding sucks. Who gave water the ability to smart-mob an area anyway? In hindsight I think that was a bad idea.
Join the fray by reading through and commenting at the end.
I feel your pain - soccer-wise. Living in the UK I had really hoped the US would fair better. Having to show my face and receive countless smirks and taunts is not my idea of a swell time.
Yeah, the Ghana game was great. Despite the score, they held their own very well. It also made my day to see Chubnaldo score the record setting goal with such a sweet move.
> I think Josh is right, they need to bring in more of their European line to the States.
Everybody but the US and Canada has them already. TDI Lupo. 95 MPG. Uh, what is the hold up?
> defeat Brazil.
Argentina baby, Argentina.
I am looking forward to an Argentina / Italy semi final! Hope it comes to pass. An England vs Italy would also be great...but would put a strain on family relations ;-)
I agree with the comments that Ghana/Brazil games was a classic! very fast and lots of imaginative plays.
PS I would liek to hear more about the application on yr mac mini that you would use to record tv programs...not only for the WC but also for the TdF! ciao
Do you go down the driveway in your boxers and open bathrobe ala Tony Soprano to get that WSJ? If so, don't come in and cuss at the kids (fictitous ones at this point).
I've been wanting to make a PVR out of a mini for some time (using an elgato eyetv 500), but I wish there were better options over integrating the whole system into a nice intuitive TV-ready interface. Front row is cool, but until Apple build in a way to extend it (like a plugin interface, so I can swap to a TV icon and then get my program guide and go straight to full screen HDTV), I have a feeling the experience will be a bit lacklustre. I've toyed with the 3rd party apps out there that mimic front row, but let's just say they're all very alpha.
I'd love to hear how it works out, though... maybe once I move and pay off all the expenses, maybe I'll grab a mini and give it a go.
I wish Blingo would come to the UK; so I can be part of your winning team. ;)
It was always going to be a miracle for Ghana to beat to Brazil. Nevertheless we were entertained with good football. South Africa 2010, here we come...and USA should have a different president by then, so no excuses.
Nice use of the term smart mob!
I think quite a few European compacts and sub-compacts ought to be introduced to the US market. The Ford Feista in Ireland is very cute, round, and drivable car with great gas mileage that I would love to drive back home in Calif. Even the Nissan Micra is rounded, cute, and fun, even if the interior is too plastic.
Jen I think American automakers heard you. DaimlerChrysler has announced plans to sell the tiny Smart Car. I passed one on the 405 last week, it's the Mini-Me of four wheeled vehicles.
RE: Newspapers - I completely agree that the tactile enjoyment to be gleaned from the experience of holding a newspaper is well worth it. I started receiving the FT a while back, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Same reason I still by those relics of the 20th century we call "Books".
RE: Touareg - Not to rain on your parade, but I owned one for about 9 months. Nothing but endless problems. 3 flat tires. Engine overheated a couple times. Eleectrical malfunctions and recalls. Recall for rear-seat, center seatbelt not working (presumably embedding a jumbo slurpee from the console in your face if you stop too suddenly) and on and on and on.
RE: Ghana v. Brazil - Tremendous game on Ghana's part!
Congratulations on your big deal. It rocks to read stuff like that.
It's much more impressive than joeswebwidgetaggregatorofpeople 2.0 got 8.73 million in funding.
Good on you.
> Nothing but endless problems.
Depending on what year you had, this doesn't surprise me at all. I wouldn't buy a first year/first generation anything (automobiles especially) unless I was a diehard for that manufacturer.
Flat tires and slurpee disasters don't count, that's not fair.
I love my Passat. But the limited interior color choices bother me: black, gray, and this very yellow beige. Eech.
If I were a designer for VW I'd offer a beautiful carmel-colored brown leather (like the real sports cars have). I once saw an Audi TT with leather seats with Western stitching. Wow, was that crisp!
> I wouldn't buy a first year/first generation anything
Agreed. You live, you learn. The flat tires were directly related to the car though, not anything else. Turns out they were trying some new compund that (quite literally) sucked rocks.
> I'd offer a beautiful carmel-colored brown leather
You should see the "natural" (that's Volvo's word for it, not mine) colored interior of my Volvo. Bright orange I tell ya. I would guesstimate its hex value to be like ff7700. (Yes, I am a geek/nerd/tool/etc)
Here in South Africa the volkswagen line has a dominant market share. They sell a mini-golf/jetta called a polo here that is extremely popular. They also still manufacture the original vw rabbit (like the one I used to have, Greg) but they call it a golf too. I don't know the figures, but just by watching the roads I'd say the classic golf is the best selling car in thier line-up. I certainly loved the 1984 rabbit that I had (until it got hit by a drunk driver).
Woohoo! I've joined you're ever so successful Blingo team. Rock on :).