Top uses for my (yet to be purchased) iPad:

1: TV viewing. You just know that Netflix is eventually going to stream to this device. Plus, I’ll be able to give it to my kids if they want to watch TV in their rooms.

2: Web browsing. In this case I think the main advantage is portability. I know a laptop can browse as well as the iPad will, but I think the biggest factor in favor of the iPad is the projected battery life. 10 hours on a single charge is a long time. It seems like my laptop starts crying low charge after an hour or so. If the battery life is genuine, I can see this thing being used as the primary family web browser.

3: Apps. Especially when Google Docs is available.  Let’s see, iPad + 3GS + Google Docs + Dropbox + gmail + the app store = universal access to all my documents and programs.

4: Music. I can’t wait to try Beatmaker on the iPad. The additional screen real estate should greatly improve the interface. Hopefully they’ll add synths to the app. That along with a piano-type keyboard option would make this thing a must-have for solo/duo performers.

This list doesn’t even include stuff like blogging, facebook, twitter, gaming, etc… I think this thing is going to sell like crazy. It’s like the Nintendo Wii of computers.

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I had a cache problem when trying to browse a new site I created for Bella Design Concepts. My initial visit to the site brought up a directory listing because the server hadn’t been set to use index.htm as the default start page for the directory. Subsequent visits to the site still showed the same file listing even though the server admin changed the default start page to the proper value. Obviously, Firefox and IE were loading the page from the cache. If you run into this problem, a simple CTRL+F5 key combination will force both browsers to load a fresh copy of the page and bypass the cache.

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These graphics showing Beatles info are wonderfully done. I love the ‘Authorship and Collaboration’ and ‘Self Reference’ graphs. Inspiring.

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Is the word ‘ulterior’ ever used unaccompanied by the word ‘motive’?

Same question for the word ‘fro’. Is it ever used without the words ‘to and’?

Finally, why is the phrase ’spring chicken’ only used in the negative sense? No one ever looks at a young girl and says ‘Wow, she’s really a spring chicken’. It’s only used for older men and women, i.e. ‘She’s no spring chicken’. It’s a phrase that’s only expressed as a negative.

Words are weird.

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This is a pretty cool math lesson.

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Mike Freeman from CBS Sports had the best quote about how confident the Phils looked in taking game 1 of the series from the Yankees.

“Predators don’t get nervous.”

Love it. Take ‘em out, Phils.

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» Someday, I hope the kids think their mother and I were cool enough to post a photo of us on My Parents Were Awesome.

» I’ve been harkening back to my rock music roots with my listening lately. Featured on my iPod: Psychedelic Sunrise by the Chesterfield Kings, the Smithereens (covering Tommy), the Hives Black and White Album, and the Raspberries Greatest (had to have some pop in there).

» My oldest daughter is checking out some of the local high schools. Sigh… I am officially old.

» My wife has started running with me(!?). She’s not too fast (yet) but she covers my regular three mile run without much of a problem. I’ve always considered myself more of a solitary runner (el lobo solo) but I find I’ve actually started enjoying the company. Go figure.

» Between school, gigging (backing up the immortal Andy Dimacale), work, freelance work, and family matters… I need a day off.

» Last but not least, I am LOVIN’ the current season of Dexter. RIP - Special Agent Lundy.

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My oldest daughter Maria plays volleyball for her school. She’s developed into kind of the designated server for her team in that, if one of the weaker servers is up next her coach will substitute Maria in and she’ll run off 3 or 4 straight points. She’s got a serve like a knuckleball that just dies once it gets over the net. Last night she closed out game 1 for her team and got on a nice run in game 3 to help win that one too.

It’s a great feeling seeing your kids succeed. It reminds me of last year when Gianna won her school spelling bee, beating out the previous two time winner (who’s a grade ahead of her) in the process. I believe my girls can do anything they set their minds to, but it’s still surprising when they go beyond what I think are their current capabilities. And it’s surprisingly bittersweet to catch glimpses of the smart and confident young women they’re becoming.

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Just got back from a Disney vacation and I’m exhausted. Next time I’m going to spend more days at the pool. The parks weren’t crowded at all - most of the lines were 5 minutes or less. I have to give a major shout out to touringplans.com. By following their crowd calendar we were able to book through the end of August, taking advantage of the fact that Florida kids are back in school and guest density is way down. Check out their ‘cheat sheet’ ride grid shown here:

Makes it easy to traverse the park and pick out the best times to try the various rides. I highly recommend subscribing. The cost is only $8.95 for the year and, considering the time and hassle saved, it’s a bargain.

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I ran 13.17 miles on Saturday. A half-marathon. Not bad for an old dude. You can check out my route at WalkJogRun. Hard to believe that when I first started running, I’d run out of gas after a quarter mile or so.

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