Axodys

Manila sites now have themes. Cool, cool, cool! So when can we expect more new and exciting Blogger features from the Pyrates?

Apparently today is the day that Microsoft will learn their fate. I’m not the biggest fan of Microsoft in the world (especially as a Mac user), but I don’t universally despise their products either. I’m certainly not convinced that breaking up the company is a worthwhile or effective measure. There simply aren’t any easy answers on this one.

A large portion of the reason that we’re where we’re at now is that most people voted Windows PC with their wallets. They could have gone with an alternative platform like the Macintosh, but up until the last couple years that generally meant a significantly larger investment into your computer. You can argue the merits of the Mac vs. PC (especially back at that time) until you’re blue in the face, but money and price is the one thing that you can count on all buyers understanding. Unfortunately companies like Apple chose a strategy that placed margin ahead of marketshare and the rest is history.

Of course even without government intervention things are already starting to change. Open Source operating systems like Linux and BSD are making huge inroads into the server space and eventually will migrate onto desktops as well. Universal standards like XML are poised to revolutionize information interoperability between all platforms. In fact one begins to wonder if government intervention really is a necessary or a good thing. Software patents are the result of government intervention for instance and they’re becoming more ridiculous all the time.

Interesting times are ahead…

Sometimes it’s just hard to shake your sleepiness in the morning.

I had all this motivation to come home and do some serious apartment modification, but alas it slipped away somewhere along the drive home. I’ve been fighting a general feeling of malaise the last couple days that I just can’t quite shake. Maybe I should just go play some more Alien Crossfire.

The sad thing is that I could have ridden my bike into work the last couple days. In other words the weather has been pretty darn decent so far this week. It was a bit windy yesterday afternoon, but it never rained and today was even better. Don’t worry bike, I’ll free you from my closet eventually.

Last night I figured out how to do some cool masking tricks in Fireworks. Unfortunately I found myself getting very sleepy right around the same time. Perhaps I’ll find time for some further exploration this evening when I get home from work.

It was really frustrating to watch the Blazers squander a 15 point third quarter lead and lose to the Lakers this afternoon. I absolutely despise the tendency of many pro basketball teams to rely on an offense consisting of an isolation post up while the other four players stand around on the perimeter. But considering both the Lakers and the Blazers have premiere post players in Shaq and Rasheed Wallace respectively I guess it’s not too surprising. At least with the Blazers out of the picture I’ll know who to root for in the finals.

I’m considering getting out my trusty Trek 7500 SHX for the ride into work tomorrow, but it looks like the weather the rest of the week isn’t going to be as conducive to riding. Riding home in the middle of a thunderstorm doesn’t sound that appealing.

One definite downside to my new apartment in terms of getting my bike outside is that it’s located on the fourth floor. At my previous residence I was on the third floor and carrying it up the two flights of stairs wasn’t that much of a problem. Here at the Roosevelt Apartments I’m pretty much forced to use the elevator because of my location on the fourth floor, and it’s the old fashioned “Otis open the two doors yourself” kind which is a huge pain when you’re trying to simultaneously maneuver a bicycle.

Watching Mission: Impossible II in a packed theater last night was pretty fun. There’s definitely something about seeing an exciting movie while surrounded by people who are into the movie as well. Even with a good surround sytem and DVD you can’t capture that aspect of the experience at home.

As far as my feelings for the movie go I really liked it, especially compared to Mission: Impossible I, which seemed to drag on at times. MI II never really slowed down for long. Of course as with most John Woo movies if you’re able to just suspend your disbelief and enjoy the ride you’ll be a lot happier. There were a couple of times when the cheese factor threatened to overwhelm my enjoyment; the motorcyle chicken scene ending in a simultaneous leap with aerial impact being the most obvious example.

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