CNN.com: Large Hadron Collider back online

"The LHC is back," the European Organization for Nuclear Research announced triumphantly Friday, as the world's largest particle accelerator resumed operation more than a year after an electrical failure shut it down.
...
The collider has been dogged by problems. It made headlines early this month when a bird apparently dropped a "bit of baguette" into the accelerator, making the machine shut down.

PopSci.com: Baguette Dropped From Bird's Beak Shuts Down The Large Hadron Collider (Really)

The Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle accelerator, just cannot catch a break. First, a coolant leak destroyed some of the magnets that guide the energy beam. Then LHC officials postponed the restart of the machine to add additional safety features. Now, a bird dropping a piece of bread on a section of the accelerator has, according to the Register, shut down the whole operation.

The bird dropped some bread on a section of outdoor machinery, eventually leading to significant over heating in parts of the accelerator. The LHC was not operational at the time of the incident, but the spike produced so much heat that had the beam been on, automatic failsafes would have shut down the machine.

That sounds like one serious design flaw if a bird with a baguette can shut down a 10 billion dollar machine.

From CNNMoney.com: Dirty secrets of Black Friday 'doorbusters'

Here's a Black Friday reality check: Of the hordes of pre-dawn shoppers who line up for hours outside stores on the day after Thanksgiving, most will not bag the best bargains that appear in merchants' circulars.

Look at the fine print that appears next to an advertised "doorbuster deal" at the bottom of the page in this year's circulars.

It will either say "While supplies last," "Minimum 2 per store," "No rainchecks" or "All items are available in limited quantities."
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"C'mon guys. Give me a break," said Dworsky. "How can you be the size of a retailer like Sears and only get a minimum of five per store, yet devote big space in your circular to advertise that deal?

This is a pretty sleazy practice and is bad business.  Is the ill will generated by not having adequate supplies worth the frenzy? 

From ESPN.com: Agassi: Book part of atonement for lies

On Chang: "He thanks God -- credits God -- for the win, which offends me. That God should take sides in a tennis match, that God should side against me, that God should be in Chang's box, feels ludicrous and insulting. I beat Chang and savor every blasphemous stroke." When Chang wins the 1989 French Open, Agassi thinks, "I feel sickened. How could Chang, of all people, have won a slam before me?"

On "tanking": Agassi says he lost on purpose against Chang in the Australian Open semifinals one year so he wouldn't have to face Becker in the final, writing: "It's almost harder than winning. You have to lose in such a way that the crowd can't tell." He also says of sports writers: "They never get it right. When I tank, they say I'm not good enough; when I'm not good enough, they say I tank."

Two interesting excerpts from Andre Agassi's biography regarding Michael Chang.

From NYTimes.com: Volt's No. 1 Question: How's Life After 40?

An early look at the Chevrolet Volt.  This car sounds intriguing.  Enough so to consider GM the next time I'm purchasing a car.

From CNN.com: Belgian PM is first 'president of Europe'

As one Indian official said before the announcement: "If the EU chooses as its worldwide representative the prime minister of Belgium or Luxembourg I am not sure our leaders will have the time to meet him."

Sounds like a pretty prestigious role.

If you ever feel like extruding some meat or caulking your tub, this device is for you.

Being a fan of the artist Shepard Fairey, I've been slowly drawn to the urban art scene.  So, when I heard that Prefab77, a UK art collective was going to be exhibiting in Covington, I decided to take a look.  The exhibit opened last friday at a gallery, BLDG in Covington and runs until December 31st.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

From TimesOnline.co.uk: The Obama brothers meet up in Beijing

Mr Ndesandjo seemed overwhelmed by the meeting. He told the Associated Press: "My big brother, you know I think he was on his way to see the President of China.

"He came directly off the plane, changed some clothes and then came down and saw us. And he just gave me a big hug. And it was so intense. I'm still over the moon on it. I am over the moon. And my wife... I think she is still recovering."

More about Obama's half-brother Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo.

This is somewhat old, but new to me. It's hard to stay up with the awesomeness that is the internet.



Also, two hilarious prank calls involving Muppets.

Via DaringFireball.net

Not only do you have to sell Windows, but you also have to dance and act happy doing it.

From CNN.com: Palin slams 'sexist' Newsweek cover

Palin took aim at Newsweek's eye-catching cover this week that shows the former vice presidential candidate in her running outfit - an image that was apparently lifted from a Runner's World photo shoot months ago.  Writing on her Facebook page Monday night, Palin said the depiction is flat out "sexist, and oh-so-expected."

"The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this 'news' magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant," Palin wrote. "The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist, and oh-so-expected by now."

From AppleInsider.com: Microsoft official admits Windows 7 design inspired by Mac OS X

One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it's very graphical and easy to use," Aldous said. "What we've tried to do with Windows 7 -- whether it's traditional format or in a touch format -- is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics.

Microsoft is just pitiful.  A company with the resources that Microsoft has should be pushing the envelope of computer design.  Instead, compared to Apple and Google, Microsoft is like the old GM, old and slow and unable to innovate.  GM's profits and market share masked the problems the company was having, but the lack of innovative design caught up.

UPDATE:
From AppleInsider.com: Microsoft denies Apple had influence on Windows 7 design

On the official Windows Blog, Brandon LeBlanc said that the widely circulated quote was "inaccurate." He flatly stated that the style of Windows 7 was not inspired by Mac OS X.

"Unfortunately this came from a Microsoft employee who was not involved in any aspect of designing Windows 7," LeBlanc said. "I hate to say this about one of our own, but his comments were inaccurate and uninformed."

Anyone can see Microsoft copies from Apple, from retail stores to Windows 7.  It's a surprise that they even have an R&D department.

thrfeed.com: Twitter user 'Shit My Dad Says' gets CBS deal

Twitter sensation Shit My Dad Says is headed to television.

CBS has picked up a comedy project based on the Twitter account, which has enlisted more than 700,000 followers since launching in August and has made its creator, Justin Halpern, an Internet star.

You know you're officially bankrupt of ideas when you're signing deals with people who Twitter.  I guess making TV shows staring GEICO cavemen wasn't the bottom of the idea barrel.

Shitmydadsays on Twitter is kind of an amusing read, but trying to expand the concept into a 30 minute sitcom just doesn't seem like a great idea.

Nothing symbolized futility more than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers "creamsicle" uniforms, but on Sunday, they won. And while winning actually kind of looked cool doing it.

From SI.com From NYDailyNews.comMaybe with the popularity of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean and their new found winning ways, the Bucs should switch back to their old logo.

The Bengals are winning, but every week the Bengals seem to be 5000 seats short of a sellout.  Without a sellout, the Bengals are blacked out in the local television market.  The matchup with Baltimore is a compelling one, but the next three home games after this with bad teams- Cleveland, Detroit, and Kansas City most certainly will not sellout.

My first thought about the problem is price.  The price vs. location of the seats makes absolutely no sense to me.  Football tickets are expensive, but the differential between the worst ticket and the best ticket is only $18.  Why would someone pay $62 dollars to be in the upper reaches of the stadium when really good seats only cost $18 more. 

The remaining 5000 tickets are most likely the worst seats left in the stadium.  Why not charge half price and fill the stadium?  In a down economy, the Bengals could lure some new fans to the stadium by charging $25 or so for tickets.

If the Bengals don't want to discount individual tickets, discount tickets drastically if they are bought for all four games.  The Bengals offer "Who Dey" packs, but instead of discounts, they offer somewhat better seat locations and a few other perks.

The Bengals are finally good, but the marketing team seems to be stuck with the old marketing playbook.  Why not try a sale to shake things up?

ESPN.com: Woods' influence crossing generations

"Tiger's China trip changed my daughter's life," said Feng Delin, 54, Cindy's father. "Lots of kids from her generation took the path of golf all because Tiger came to China and introduced the game to the Chinese people."

Interesting article about Tiger's influence on one particular girl in China who's now a golf prodigy in the United States.  How many people have the ability to inspire like Tiger Woods?

UPDATE: Another Tiger Woods in China article
ESPN.com: Woods' appeal hasn't fully hit China

Nike, one of Tiger's biggest partners elsewhere, largely limits the use of his image to in-store promotions, whereas Kobe Bryant, another high-profile Nike athlete, is nearly ubiquitous in China, with China-specific campaigns.

"This will definitely change," Paull said. "Golf is going through the fastest change of any sport in China right now. There were more golf courses completed in the last three years than the previous thirty years.

The Journey is the Reward Banner Pictures

I recently added a script that allows me to rotate the banner pictures on my blog.  Here's a little information about each picture.

Lake Manapouri, New Zealand

Champs-Élysées, walking towards the Arc de Triomphe, Paris

From the Age.com.au: President's half-brother makes novel debut

MAYBE it is the easy smile. Or perhaps the eyes, at once self-assured and searching. When Mark Okoth Obama Ndesandjo walks into the room, the similarities with President Barack Obama, with whom he shares a father, are quite unmistakeable if hard to pinpoint.

You can definitely see the family resemblance.

When traveling with my iPhone 3GS, I find myself using up battery charge much more quickly than while at home.  Whether it's the use of the GPS, entertaining myself browsing the web, playing games, or watching movies, I am always worried about whether I'll have enough charge to make it through the rest of the day.

The Sanyo Eneloop Mobile Booster is a compact and inexpensive solution to my traveling battery issues.  The Eneloop Mobile Booster is a 5000mAH Li-Ion battery pack that can recharge your iPhone 3GS a whopping four times!

I used it during my recent trip to Europe and it worked extremely well.  I used my iPhone for nearly the entire flight back as there was no personal entertainment system.  The Eneloop Mobile Booster kept the phone completely charged the whole time.  You just plug in your iPhone USB cable into it and your ready to go.  With this, you never have to worry about finding a plug at the airport again.  I highly recommend it

Right now, the Sanyo eneloop Mobile USB Booster for iPhone is being sold at Amazon for only $38.95.  I think this is an amazing deal for something that anyone who travels with their iPhone shouldn't be without.

UPDATE Feb. 10, 2010:  It looks like Sanyo discontinued this particular Eneloop charger.  As an alternative you might try the ImaxPower IMP500 External Backup Battery 5000mAh white which has the same amount of charge as the Eneloop or the massive ImaxPower IMP880 iTouch External Backup Battery 8800mAh.
 

Here's the size of the Eneloop Mobile Booster in comparison with the iPhone 3GS.  It's about twice the thickness, but compact.

NYTimes.com: Iraq Swears by Bomb Detector U.S. Sees as Useless

The small hand-held wand, with a telescopic antenna on a swivel, is being used at hundreds of checkpoints in Iraq. But the device works "on the same principle as a Ouija board" -- the power of suggestion -- said a retired United States Air Force officer, Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who described the wand as nothing more than an explosives divining rod.

Still, the Iraqi government has purchased more than 1,500 of the devices, known as the ADE 651, at costs from $16,500 to $60,000 each. Nearly every police checkpoint, and many Iraqi military checkpoints, have one of the devices, which are now normally used in place of physical inspections of vehicles.
....
The Iraqis, however, believe passionately in them. "Whether it's magic or scientific, what I care about is it detects bombs," said Maj. Gen. Jehad al-Jabiri, head of the Ministry of the Interior's General Directorate for Combating Explosives.

This is insanity.  I'm definitely in the wrong business.  Thinking of crap to sell to the Iraqis is what I should be doing.

I saw this in London in September.  It's the "fab four" on an iconic red bus driving around London playing Beatles music for the release of the Beatles Rock Band video game.  I wish that  advertising and marketing was always this creative and fun.