Napkin Blogging
Posted by Sam at 3:17 AM | tags: blogging, life

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Happy Birthday, Sambot!
Posted by Sam at 3:23 PM | tags: sambot, blogging, life

One year ago, to this very day, almost to the hour, a legend of grand importance was born. Well, maybe not a legend per se... and definitely not one of grand importance. No, more like a pestering annoyance that one can't help paying attention to. Like a scab... sometimes bloody, oftentimes painful, yet impossible to ignore.

Ok. That's a pretty weak analogy. What I'm getting at is that today, October 26, is a very significant day. sam bot dot com (this blog that you're reading right now, you dolt! Wait... don't go. I'm sorry. I love you. I need you), turns one-year-old!

Ahhh... I can remember it like it was a year ago. It's a fond memory, albeit fuzzy and incomplete (suddenly, I want a beer). From the very first post, to this one right here, sam bot dot com has maintained a certain level of quality. And of course, that level is... well, that's for you to decide. But, from the deepest, darkest, pits of my heart, I humbly thank you for your patronage. Here's to another year! L'Chaim!

Vital Stats:
- first post: October 26, 2004: Drumroll Please
- posts so far (including this one): 195
- entry most commented on: It's a tie at 9 comments.
Confession Time... & Quite Possibly the Ugliest...
- most visited entry: Breaking and Entering

Blast from the past:
sambot version 1

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A Gift From God
Posted by Sam at 2:58 PM | tags: coffee

In other Starbucks news, god is scheduled to appear (in quote form) on Starbucks cups. Normally, I would be completely intolerant of this religious injection into an otherwise religion-free experience, but:

A) To me, drinking coffee is a religious experience in and of itself.

2) Coffee's mere existence is proof of a godly influence over this earthen sphere. Something as majestic as coffee could only be a gift from god. Man/Evolution could never have created something so beautiful.

III) Other quotes to appear on cups come from "writers, scientists, musicians, athletes, politicians and cultural critics." Thus elevating man to a level equivalent to that of god. And apparently, that godly level... that pinnacle of enlightenment... that plateau to which, until now, god has been the only one with authority enough to ensconce oneself upon... is none other than the elusive cardboard coffee cup.

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Treehugging Coffee Addicts
Posted by Sam at 2:42 PM | tags: coffee

Treehugging coffee addicts of Quinnipiac University rejoice! The newly opened Starbucks, here on the QU campus, offers Fair Trade coffee. And get this, it's priced the same as Starbucks' regular (unFair Trade) coffee. Nice!

So, what is Fair Trade coffee anyway? The Global Exchange sums it pretty nicely (and of course, Wikipedia is a good source of information too). From their article: "The United States consumes one-fifth of all the world's coffee, making it the largest consumer in the world. But few Americans realize that agriculture workers in the coffee industry often toil in what can be described as "sweatshops in the fields." Many small coffee farmers receive prices for their coffee that are less than the costs of production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt." Fair Trade certified coffee assures the end user that the coffee they are anxiously waiting to consume was grown, harvested, and purchased under fair conditions.

Thanks Quinnipiac. That's really cool!

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Xmas Comes Early For Mac Users
Posted by Sam at 8:00 PM | tags: apple, design

Yep. Apple released more crud today. What's going on with them?

Amidst the ample helpings of crud, came Power Mac and PowerBook updates... unfortunately, these updates were not the ones to spearhead the migration to Intel based Macs. Maybe Hopefully we'll see them in the next iteration.

So, that's the hardware news. Let's move to the software news, shall we? Aimed at the professional (digital) photographer, Apple released Aperture. From their site: "Aperture provides everything you need for after the shoot, delivering the first all-in-one post-production tool for photographers." Whoa! Apple took a bite out of Photoshop's marketshare!?

The Mac and Photoshop have always gone well together... like biscuits and gravy. Who would be so evil as to break up a divine union such as biscuits and gravy? Apparently, Apple Computers. But, is Aperture the Photoshop killer that it purports to be? Maybe... but only if one's sole use for Photoshop is photo retouching and photo editing. As we digital artists know, Photoshop does so much more than simply retouch photos. Too much to include in this post... too much even for this blog.

Aperture does seems pretty cool though (nondestructive, professional photo editing... finally!), and it came as a bit of a surprise too. But, as its tagline states, Aperture is "Designed for Professional Photographers." I think however, for the digital artist, Photoshop will still remain at the head of the class.

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As Close As It's Going To Get
Posted by Sam at 5:41 PM | tags: technology, apple

I toyed with the idea of naming this post, "I'm Writing This From the Bathroom," but I didn't want to scare anyone away. Ok... so I'm not really writing this post from the bathroom. But the point is that now, with the release of the Palm T|X, I very well could be.

A couple of weeks back, I wrote about the impending release of the wifi, bluetooth, large screen Palm for $300... I also wrote about how splendid it would be to check my email from the bathroom. How splendid indeed! Now it seems that my dream (and your nightmare) have become reality. That $300 powerhouse has been released under the T|X moniker. Although the timing could have been... well, a little better timed. The release of the T|X coincided exactly with that of the new iPod (it's quite a chore remembering not to call the new iPod a "video iPod." But, for the good of Apple's product naming conventions, I must persist!). So, overshadowed by Apple's "One More Thing" announcement, Palm's T|X slid quietly into their uninspired product line. Uninspired, until now...

This handheld is very cool. Reviews confirm that. The T|X does everything that I think a handheld should do (except mount as a USB (or bluetooth) disk). In fact, I'm so happy with the specs on this device that maybe, just maybe, for a brief moment, I can stop hoping that Apple has a PDA in the works (let's face it, it will never happen). The last Palm that I owned, a Tungsten E, synced easily with the iSync Palm conduit (iCal, To Do Lists, and Address book)... so, I can't imagine that the T|X will perform to the contrary.

Peeps, I think this is as close as it's going to get to an Apple branded PDA. I've already decided that I am going to purchase one. Now it's just a matter of when... and to a lesser degree, how. Maybe some "where" thrown in there for good measure. But fear not, I'll be sure to let you know the second it happens.

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The Day After the Bomb Fell
Posted by Sam at 3:01 PM | tags: apple, technology

Apple went ahead and released a product without my stamp of approval. The nerve! Steve, you and I need to have a little talk. I don't care who is CEO of what multi-billion dollar corporation, or who is responsible for bringing an almost dead computing platform back from an eventual grave (in the mid to late nineties), or who has access to a private jet, or who can keep an audience of eager consumers on the edge off their seats waiting to hear those now legendary words, "One more thing..." I don't care about any of those things. They don't matter. And I'm not intimidated by your stylish black turtleneck either. Steve, you and I, we're gonna chat.

Ok Stevie, didn't you read my post? (Oh... don't try to deny it. I know you're a huge a fan of sambot. I get hits from Cupertino. Whom else could it be?) I clearly stated that I didn't think Apple should release a video iPod. What more do you need? Jeez! How could I have been any more clear? I don't support this. I mean it's not like you have the power to tell the consumer populous what they want... or do you?

<reality distortion field>
Hmmm... you know, now that I really sit down and think about it, it makes perfect sense. Of course I want a video iPod. No, scratch that. I need a video iPod. Yes. It's all so clear now. Someone needs to drive me to the Apple Store... cuz' on the way back, I'll be watching Desperate Housewives* in the palm of my hand. And, maybe while I'm there, I'll pick up one of those snazzy new iMacs too. I didn't know that I needed one of those either. Thanks Steve.
</reality distortion field>

Sarcasm aside, it will be very interesting to see how quickly and to what extent a video iPod will be absorbed into this culture. Personally, I still maintain the opinion that a device of this sort will not fit neatly into my life (in the way that the original, audio only, iPod has). Aside from the occasional Simpsons episode, I rarely watch TV. I realize that the weight of that statistic puts me very much in the American minority. Maybe that is why I am so reluctant to accept the, now very real, fact that a video iPod is what the people want. From an outsider-to-television-culture's point of view, this should prove to be a fascinating experiment in societal acceptance of media infiltration.

*Oh... and I have no clue as to what the hell Desperate Housewives is or what it is about. I've never even heard of it until iTunes told me how important it is to my livelihood. Again, thanks Steve. You always know what's best for me.

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So...
Posted by Sam at 3:29 PM | tags: apple, life

So... I'm in an Apple Store right now. Yep, I'm that much of a dork. I just talked with an Apple Store employee about all the new goodies. We were getting pretty giddy. Anyway, my new best friend (see ya' in hell old best friend!) says that the toys aren't here yet, but expect them in the next few days.

Wow. There's a lot to digest. And while I do so, I'm going to continue touching things and smearing my finger greases all over the Apple Store stuff. But when I get home, you can expect more commentary... and I know you're looking forward to that.

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Excitement!
Posted by Sam at 1:35 PM | tags: apple

OK, you cave dwellers... it's time to emerge from your perpetual darkness and bask in the warm glowing warming glow of the edge-of-your-seat Apple announcement scheduled to bounce directly from Steve's mouth to the ears of those lucky attendees at Apple's One More Thing event, going on as I write this. What's it gonna be!? I'm delirious with excitement... oh wait, that's from lack of sleep.

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Five Twenty Three
Posted by Sam at 5:23 AM | tags: design, life

It's 5:23 a.m.

I just finished a freelance project (I know it's late early, but I met my deadline. And that's what's important).

I wonder if I should go to sleep now?

I have to wake up in 2 hours and 37 minutes.

It hardly seems worth it.

Then again, what am I going to do for the next 2 hours and 37 minutes?

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Mark My Words
Posted by Sam at 10:29 AM | tags: apple, technology

If Apple really and truly introduces a video iPod next week, as the rumors purport... I'm going to buy one. Hell yeah!

Really? No, not really. Sorry, I just got caught up in the moment. See, here's the thing, a video iPod really doesn't interest me at all. I can't even imagine what I would do with it? I don't use video like I use audio. I don't walk down the street watching video. I don't watch video in my car. I don't watch video while I'm working. I suppose one could make the argument that a video iPod might be a device that you don't know you need until you have one. But, I don't know. I'm still skeptical.

I don't really think that it's in Apple's best interest to release a video iPod either. In fact, I'm going to come right out and say it: I, sambot, do not think that the surprise announcement from Apple Computers on October 12, will be pertaining to a video iPod. There. I feel better now. Although, those bastards have gone against my will in the past.

Only time will tell what they have in store for us. And who knows, maybe... just maybe, they'll give me the imaginary Apple PDA that I've been lusting after for years. Please please please...

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