Logitech mm28 Portable Speaker

I got two of these Logitech mm28's from buy.com for less than $25USD (that's right, $12.50 each!) delivered a couple of months ago. Current pricing/availability varies I've had some time to put them to the test so here's my mini-review:

The design is excellent and the sound is adequate. Compact, covered, and with audio cord storage this unit is sleek and easy to pack. The cover rotates to become a speaker stand. Placement is critical to maximize soundstage and bass response YMMV.

Works great when 2 or more people are watching DVDs on laptop or handheld in car or tent. Works great as an MP3 player, or video camera playback amp/speaker too. AA battery consumption is minimal and can go at least 50 hrs/set of 4.

Some may find the 12" audio cord a bit short. My one and only gripe is that the unit's auto-power off function (while great to save battery life when on battery power) is also active when the speakers are plugged in to AC power. This is inconvenient on the set I use on my work laptop (when docked) because the speakers deactivate after about 5 mins of mute.

All in all these speakers are techsexy, compact, inexpensive, indestructable, and provide adequate response. Great value/price ratio here. I got two. One is attached to my laptop docking station and the other travels with me, and when home, is plugged into the XM radio feed.

CNET Reviews
Amazon Reviews

NSFW (language), Old, But Still Hilarious: The Spirit of Truth, by Rev. X.

Are ya laffin biyotch?
Hah, Uh huh.
You find it funny? heh heh
You find it funny? heh heh

I'll conversate it again.
I come in the name of Jesus --
Repeat it after me, bitch!
I come in the name of Jesus, by the powa of the Holy Spirit. God Awmighty. You know. Ruler of Heaven, and Earf, and Every_God_Daaamn_thing_in_between.

You understand me now?

Best Seat in College Football

Section 5 Row 48 Seat 25.

Last Home Game of the Season: OU Whipped OSU 49-17 and Siezed Big12 South Divisional Title!

Perfect, cold, sleeting football weather!

Black Fri @ Best Buy

OK, What in the world is worth waiting in line for 2 hours outside at 3am when it is 25 degrees F outside? I don't know, but my techgeek deal finder compass has led me to about position 250 in line to see what BBuy has for Black Friday.

BBBF Madness

Lots of cold people out here. I really wasn't fully awake when I left the house and I didn't quite dress for the weather. I can barely feel my toes, but at least I'm better off than a few girls in the line that aren't even wearing sox!

More BBBF

Here is a view of the line stretching around the back of BBuy. Ended up with plenty of goodies for Zmas.

Sooner Basketball Boys Night Out

3.0 Enjoys His View of the Game From Mid-Court

2.0 is Proud to be a SOONER!

The ‘Gap’ in Republicans’ Healthcare Plans

By: Steve Benen (via CrooksandLiars.com)

Rudy Giuliani was treated for prostate cancer. John McCain has been treated for melanoma, the most serious type of skin malignancy. Fred Thompson was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system.

And as the LA Times’ Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar explained in a good piece today, all three could be denied healthcare insurance under their own healthcare plans.

All three have offered proposals with the stated aim of helping the 47 million people in the U.S. who have no health insurance, including those with preexisting medical conditions. But under the plans all three have put forward, cancer survivors such as themselves could not be sure of getting coverage — especially if they were not already covered by a government or job-related plan and had to seek insurance as individuals.

“Unless it’s in a state that has very strong consumer protections, they would likely be denied coverage,” said economist Paul Fronstin of the Employee Benefit Research Institute, who has reviewed the candidates’ proposals. “People with preexisting conditions would not be able to get coverage or would not be able to afford it.”

It offers a helpful contrast between the downsides of the two parties’ approaches to healthcare. The problem with the Dems’ plans is that they’re expensive. The problem with the Republicans’ policies is that sick people of modest means can’t get health insurance.

The Republican presidential hopefuls seem to realize that their plans leave millions of vulnerable Americans behind, but also realize that the alternative is government regulation — specifically, telling insurers that they can’t exclude people with pre-existing conditions, and can’t price these people out of coverage. Given a choice between a large gap of uninsured and government-imposed safeguards for Americans, the GOP candidates prefer the prior.

Oklahoma's First Flag

Oklahoma's first flag was adopted in 1911, four years after statehood. Taking the colors red, white, and blue from the flag of the United States, the flag featured a large centered white star fimbriated in blue on a red field. The number 46 was written in blue inside the star, as Oklahoma was the forty-sixth state to join the Union.

Unfortunately, many thought the flag looked too much like a symbol of the Soviets. The Russian revolution that overthrew Tsar Nicholas II and led to the establishment of the Soviet Union sparked a move to replace Oklahoma's state flag. Additionally, even without its association with the Russian revolution of 1917, the state flag made many Oklahomans unhappy. Some said they didn't like to hang the flag from their porches for fear neighbors would think someone inside had scarlet fever.

A contest, sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution was held in 1924 to replace the flag since all Red flags would surely appear to be associated with communism, or death. The winning entry by Louise Fluke, which was adopted as the state flag on 2 April 1925, resembled the current flag without the word Oklahoma on it. The state's name was added to the flag in 1941. The colors and shapes were standardized by Oklahoma Senate Bill 1359[1] and signed into law by Governor Brad Henry on May 23, 2006.

The original flag-contest winning entry from 1924 was donated by the family of Louise Fluke to the State of Oklahoma in May of 2005

Chewie, Our Dog

Or are we his owners?

What Were You Doing at Age 9?

Better Setup Than Dear Old Dad Had!

What a difference 30 years makes.

At their age I had PONG in B/W on a Zenith 27" Console Wood Television set that had no remote control and 4 channels., Disney Movies at the theater, Polaroid InstaMatic, Super8 movies, Stereo, Vinyl. I played in forts, treehouses, and roamed the neighborhood on my trusty Big Wheel (or my brother's Green Machine) bareheaded and barefoot.

They have: HD-DVD, Blu-Ray,PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, Digital Cable-Over 200 channels, 24 hr cartoons, internet, HDTV, Digital Cameras, Chat, 42" 1080p Plasma, 7.1 Dolby, 300W Subs, HDMI, Satellite Radio, HardDrive Storage. They play at McDonald's playland, climb upon giant slabs of plastic, drive battery powered cars and ride tiny scooters while wearing plastic helmets, gloves, and knee/elbow pads.

2.0 Shreddz GH3 on PS3 (Medium Setting)

Annual Bass Pro Shop visit

Every year around Thanksgiving we end up down at Bass Pro shop. The boys love looking at boats, ATVs and the fish tank. They also have an electronic shooting range that clears our pockets of quarters in a hurry.

2.0 Chased by Bear

2.0 loves climbing and always almost gets us kicked out of the store by climbing on all the boulders. Here he is being terrorized by a Grizzly in the tent dept.

OKC Bricktown Fountain

After church and a movie (Pixar's Bee Movie) the boys posed and played by the fountain. Had to stop them from pulling coins out and throwing landscape rocks in...

Another Pic by the Fountain in Bricktown

Lonely Man

Awesome Flikr photoset.

by DanielN (Flikr) aka Arrowsmiff~ (MySpace)

Friday Fun: Short Vid

Friday Fun: Ben Dova (yes that's his real name) Drunk Daredevil

Ben Dova the Drunk Daredevil, contortionist, Hindenburg survivor and one of the 10 most unfortunately named people on the internets. (linx via MetaFilter.com)

From thehumanmarvels.com:

Ben Dova was born in Strasbourg on March 14, 1905 as Joseph Späh. After immigrating to the United States, as a young man, he took an interest in vaudeville and became quite an adept acrobat and contortionist.

Ben Dova was perhaps best known for his signature ‘convivial inebriate’ act. His act consisted of Dova playing a quirky drunkard. He would swaggeringly stagger out onto the stage, dressed in a rumpled top hat and wrinkled tails, and would feign falling into the audience while perform wonderfully limber moves. It appeared to the audience as though Ben Dova would topple at any moment and he teased such a disaster, only to steady himself and proceed. He would search, for a comical length of time, through his pockets for a cigarette which was in his mouth during the entire time. Then, at this point, he would climb a street lamp to light his cigarette.

While perched atop the lamp the lamp would begin to sway back and forth, eventually to an alarming degree. Dova would hold on and begin an astounding acrobatic routine heighten by his seemingly intoxicated state.

To some, Dova’s act was comedic and entertaining fluff, however in 1933 that all changed. For the benefit of American newsreels Ben Dova performed his act atop New York’s 56 story Chanin Building with no net, no wires and no camera tricks. Theatre audiences were terrified by what they saw and genuinely feared for Dova’s personal safety. Fainting at the sight of the newsreel was documented.

Here, in all its unbelievable glory is the great Ben Dova performing atop the Chanin Building:

Covering W's Ass

History of an Interrogation Technique: Water Boarding: American soldiers have been court-martialed for waterboarding since the Spanish-American War.

Waterboarding Used to Be a Crime: After World War II Japanese prison-camp officers and guards were prosecuted for and convicted of war crimes, including waterboarding.

Now Michael Mukasey, a nominee for attorney general, the "nation's top cop" responsible for enforcement of the law, says he doesn't know if it's illegal. I'm disgusted and ashamed.

Is Waterboarding Torture?

Yes, Waterboarding is Torture...Period.

Out of Luck: 4-6 Million Children Too Rich for Medicaid Too Poor, or Sick for Health Insurance

Senate passes kids healthcare bill, Bush to Veto

The revised measure, which the House approved last week, now goes to Bush, who vows to veto it.

From the Associated Press

November 2, 2007

Closely followed by:

Democrats propose new healthcare plan

Leaders hope governor will back the proposal to raise the tobacco tax by $2 a pack to finance insurance subsidies for low-income families. By Jordan Rau, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 6, 2007

Washington Irving Elementary Ice Skating Night!!

This was 2.0's second or third time to ice skate. He's pretty good on his feet, but can only stop by falling or slamming into the wall! For 3.0 it was first time. He clung to the wall for the first trip around (which took almost 20 mins). Then we got him a sliding-walker-thingy and he did much better. They had a great time with their schoolmates.

Bro's Make The 1st Circuit Around the Rink

2.0 Spins w/Eyes Closed

Cub Scout Pack 331 Den 5 Meeting

To work on the Wolf Badge they met in the home of one of Edmond's lifelong residents and veterans to learn Flag Appreciation. The kids listen intently as the history and glory of the American flag is explained.

Early American Flag History

The scouts were able to get an up-close view of the history of flags flown over North America. The earliest was a Spanish banner and then the Union Jack and a variation consisting of 1.4 Union Jack on a solid red background called the British Red Ensign. They also had a Betsy Ross and a First Official US Flag. All flags were treated with respect by the Leaders with and the scouts remained seated and attentive to the display. Unfortunately they didn't have my personal favorite the Unofficial Ensign and Jack.

There were two indirect but extremely respectful references which asserted to the fact that these precious, symbolic, objects would not exist if it were not for the ultimate personal sacrifices of soliders, both past and present and future. It is easy to say too much to 7 year-olds about war. These veteran/scout leaders handled it masterfully.

On January 1, 1776, the Continental Army was reorganized in accordance with a Congressional resolution which placed American forces under George Washington's control. On that New Year's Day the Continental Army was laying siege to Boston which had been taken over by the British Army. Washington ordered the Grand Union flag hoisted above his base at Prospect Hill. It had 13 alternate red and white stripes and the British Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner (the canton).

In May of 1776, Betsy Ross reported that she sewed the first American flag.

On June 14, 1777, in order to establish an official flag for the new nation, the Continental Congress passed the first Flag Act: "Resolved, That the flag of the United States be made of thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation."

Between 1777 and 1960, Congress passed several acts that changed the shape, design and arrangement of the flag and allowed for additional stars and stripes to be added to reflect the admission of each new state.

• Act of January 13, 1794 - provided for 15 stripes and 15 stars after May 1795.
  
• Act of April 4, 1818 - provided for 13 stripes and one star for each state, to be added to the flag on the 4th of July following the admission of each new state, signed by President Monroe.
  
• Executive Order of President Taft dated June 24, 1912 - established proportions of the flag and provided for arrangement of the stars in six horizontal rows of eight each, a single point of each star to be upward.
  
• Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated January 3, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in seven rows of seven stars each, staggered horizontally and vertically.
  
• Executive Order of President Eisenhower dated August 21, 1959 - provided for the arrangement of the stars in nine rows of stars staggered horizontally and eleven rows of stars staggered vertically.
  

Today the flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, seven red alternating with 6 white. The stripes represent the original 13 colonies, the stars represent the 50 states of the Union. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.

More Flag History

Olin Lee had a grand collection of early American flags which he displayed with honor and patience to the group of 2nd graders and their siblings (and some parents).

Under the Flag

Prior to the explanation and flag history each scout was shown how to properly hoist and lower the flag on a pole in front of Olin's home. They were also taught how to properly honor, treat and fold the flag. In addition each scout was allowed to hoist, lower, and fold the flag.

Nokia's New GPhone!

This one I will buy for that lady in the suburban that was doing her makeup and talking on her phone as she drifted into my lane.

Clicky for Pic

Oh, It is Too Easy!

OU vs Texass A&M. Late in the game which up to this point was a shut-out. Sooners looked great, but Austin English twisted his ankle late in the 1st half. Other than that Bradford's passing was spot on and he threw for 6 TDs!

Some Serious Moments against Texas A&M

Ultimately we kick'd their ass.!

We do love TOUCHDOWNS1 in Norman (especially if they are OU's)

Mere Seconds Away....

From the best view in Football. Section 5 tunnel entry ramp, Owen field, University of Oklahoma:

Cool Pix!

25 Photographs taken at exactly_the_right_moment.

Before Kid Nation There Was Robber's Cave, OK

"In the summer of 1954, twenty-two fifth-grade boys were taken out to a campground at Robbers Cave State Park, Oklahoma. [...] Ostensibly it was an unremarkable summer camp. [...] what they had really done for two and a half weeks was unwittingly take part in an elaborate and fascinating psychological experiment."

The experiment was conducted by Muzafer Sherif to test the following hypotheses:

(1) When individuals having no established relationships are brought together to interact in group activities with common goals, they produce a group structure with hierarchical statuses and roles within it.

(2) If two in-groups thus formed are brought into functional relationship under conditions of competition and group frustration, attitudes and appropriate hostile actions in relation to the out-group and its members will arise and will be standardized and shared in varying degrees by group members.

The results were published in 1961. (via MetaFilter)

Friday Fun: Great Moments in Cinema

NSFW (Language/Violence). This is one of my all-time favorite scenes with two of my all-time favorite actors. Sicilian Talk: Scene from Tony Scott's True Romance (1993 penned by Tarrantino). Mr Vincenzo Coccotti (Christopher Walken) and Clifford Worley (Dennis Hopper) share their thoughts about the sicilian race. Brilliant. (also look for a young Tony Soprano (James Gandofini) earning his thug points). The movie, which is on my Top Ten of all time, is full of early appearances by many of today's top notch stars. Buy it today

The Real Rudy: Radios

Robert Greenwald (via bravenewfilms.org)

Rudy Giuliani is running for office on how he handled 9/11 and here we have proof positive that firemen were killed because his administration did not fix the long-standing (since 1993!) problems with the radios.

This BNF investigative report calls attention to four key questions about Rudy's handling of the broken radios from firemen's families and experts:

• Why was nothing done to improve NYFD radio performance for seven years after a clear need was demonstrated in the 1993 World Trade Center attack?
• When new radios were finally ordered, why did the city block other companies besides Motorola from bidding on the contract?
• Once Motorola was given the contract, why did its cost jump from $1.4 million to $14 million?
• Why were these new radios never tested?
  

These questions should and must be investigated. New York City councilman Eric Gioia has the power to begin an investigation. If we can garner enough attention and signers, we have a major opportunity to help launch an investigation. Watch the video: