I saw Man or Astroman? playing at the fabulous 40 Watt Thursday night. It’s very hard to describe this band, but the local paper gave it a try.

The verdict is in, and the Virgin Connect Webplayer, received for free, wasn’t worth my time. Don’t bother with this one. The software is old (early version 4.x browser) and can’t view much beyond standard HTML files. Even txt files give an error. It would’t ever work with Blogger (though recent evidence points to a Blogger problem). I’m trying to return the player (so I’m not charged $400), but I’ve been on hold with the customer service center for over an hour. It’s a toll call. Heads will roll.

Ignore your teeth, and they’ll go away! Dental-Hygiene Tips from The Onion.

While getting to know RedCricket a little better, I found the camtoons. Very clever!

_Ode on a TiVO (With apologies to Keats)

Watched TV shows are sweet, but those unknown
     Are sweeter; so, ye TiVO, record on;
Not on plastic tape, but, with 0 and 1,
     capture the shows I’d like when I am gone:
Fair youth, upon my set, thou canst not leave
     Thy post, for if I were to get a call;
          while watching, never, never willst I miss,
a winning field goal–oh, I would grieve;
     you can pause live TV–oh joy! oh bliss!,
          and instant replay! Oh, you have it all!

Ah, happy, happy days! When “nothing’s on”,
     Your suggestions shows to me that that’s not so;
You are watching, when my TV’s not on,
     For show’s I’d like. You’re smart, that’s how you know;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
     For all season a show should be enjoy’d,
          But the networks move, or delay, and hide;
My VCR would miss. I’m now above
     Their tricks. My own network! I’m not annoyed,
          I have control. I am in charge. The pride!_

That little ditty just won me a free TiVO player. I spent a bit of time on my entry, but it turns out that I needn’t have bothered. They’re giving them away to nearly everyone that enters the contest. It appears they’ve got excess inventory of older models, and rather than dump them on the market, they’re having a contest (and thus get to deduct their cost as marketing expense). The rules say they’re giving away 10 players a day, but don’t you believe it. The catch? It costs $10 a month to subscribe to the service that drives the player. It looks like it’ll be worth it, though. And if you don’t want to settle for an old 14 hour player, don’t despair. Hack it into a 50+ hour player.

What I didn’t learn while obtaining my degree in astrophysics: Phaeton the Lost Planet -- An Astronomer’s Account of the Missing Planet Between Mars and Jupiter as Interpreted from Observations Made Within a Biblical Context

If you like the Food Network’s wonderful show Good Eats, then you’ll love the Good Eats with Alton Brown Fan Page, which includes full transcripts of the shows. Thanks, Steve, for the link!

My dad (hi, dad!) makes the best cheesecakes. All kinds! I don’t recall when or how he got started, but one day he was the cheesecake expert and was making them for all occasions and selling them to neighborhood people who wanted the best. I watched, and he taught, and now I can make cheesecakes that are almost the best. CNN’s food section has a nice page up on home cheesecake making, along with three nice looking recipes.

Another site from our local Egiptian friends. The archives make for fun browsing.

More news from/on the local wacky “fraternal organization”: Nuwaubians make D.C. History. I especially like the statements that George Washington was a “freemason of the Ancient Egiptian Order” and that in Greek mythology, the deity of fire was Thor. Methinks the author could use a little education.