Stumbled onto this entry on Vinnie Lauria’s blog, listing the bank balances of various world countries. At the bottom of the list… the US of A. Our bank balance: $ -829,100,000,000. Say what?! Yes, according to the CIA, so it’s got to be true.
How about the US Budget? How’s that? Well, according to this chart, compiled with data from the Congressional Budget Office, our 8 years with GW Bush have been wreaking havoc on the budget.
Not really comforting news, is it? And we want to keep spending how much on the Iraq war, in order to bring “peace and stability”, and oh yes, let’s not forget, “democracy”, to that region? Isn’t it about time someone put a stop to our runaway spending?
I hadn’t looked at this particular stat in some time, but today I noticed that according to WordPress, my site’s platform, I’ve published 555 posts. Cool! This post makes 556, and we can call it my little pat on the back. I’ll let you know when I hit 1,000. I’ll probably have a little party then.
In what I think is an astonishing twist, Google has turned their “private label” Gmail service offered about 6 months ago to companies and schools interested in the idea into Google Apps for Your Domain, an all-in-one solution that offers Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar and Google Pages for whatever domain you’d like. In typical Google fashion, they’ve also made it free! Now no one can complain that they can’t get their site going or email set up. All anyone needs is an internet connection and a domain name, and they’re set. Granted, the functionality of Google Pages isn’t quite full featured, but it’s plenty for the needs of most people.
All I can say is Wow, because I’m floored. It’ll take some time for this to sink in. Private label IM, free! Private label Gmail, free! Private label web calendaring, free! Wow!
Steve Irwin, the offbeat Australian [insert own characterization here] died, of a stingray barb through the heart, as he was filming a documentary today. He was apparently swimming on top of the stingray, when it swung its tail up, piercing his chest with the barb. Although crew members tried to save him, there was nothing to be done, and he was pronounced DOA at a nearby Low Isles hospital. Here’s to an individual that managed to amaze and freak me out at the same time. His love for animals was evident, although I’d also say he was obsessed with them, and sometimes got so manic around them that he probably freaked them out, too. In the end, he died doing what he loved.
A few months ago, both Ligia and I got taped for a new show on HGTV called “I Want That! Tech Toys“, the kid brother, so to speak, of “I Want That!”, which is a wildly popular show. By the look of it, this new show is going to make it big as well.
At any rate, Ligia got invited to demo a portable keyboard called the Yamano Hand-Roll Piano (a bit of a misnomer, since it’s not a piano, it’s a keyboard). At any rate, what makes it an interesting product is that it’s truly portable: it rolls up into a tight little package, which you can carry virtually anywhere. It’s also powered by batteries. The keys are made of rubber with touch sensors underneath, so if you spill something on it, you don’t have to worry. It’s even got a MIDI-out port, in case you’re interested in that sort of a thing. The only thing that’s missing is the tactile feel of a real keyboard, which, I have to say, is a fairly important thing for the more serious piano or keyboard players. But this keyboard is great for beginners. So… to make a long story short, Ligia and one of her students, Peter, got taped for the show, and the episode just aired on HGTV. I uploaded the particular segment of the show where Ligia is featured to YouTube, and you can view it below.
What about me? Well, I got invited to demo a cool product called the Nabaztag Smart Bunny for the show a month after Ligia got taped. I demoed it, and also wrote a nice lengthy review here at ComeAcross for your enjoyment. The show in which I appeared aired after Ligia, and it’s still on the air, as a matter of fact. The segment where I talk about the bunny is also uploaded to YouTube, and you can view it below.
Hope you enjoy them! I know we enjoyed getting taped, it was a fun little experience, and we are grateful for the opportunity! You wouldn’t believe it, but just to get that 1:25 minutes of live TV, it took over three hours for each of us. It’s the setups for the different shots and the re-takes that take so long. You’ve got to make sure the lighting’s just right, that the angles are correct, that stray objects aren’t in the shot, so on and so forth. Hey, and did you know that one of those Beta video cameras they use to film you for TV costs over $60,000? Better not drop them!
Raoul Pop 