Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Odds and Ends, Wed 20 Dec 2006

1. Recently "My Favourite Album" aired on ABC TV:
  <http://abc.net.au/myfavouritealbum/>
I own seven of the top ten, including the #1.  Personally I don't like
it that much, but there are a couple of ok songs on it.

In past years they've aired "My Favourite Film":
  <http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritefilm/>
and "My Favourite Book":
  <http://www.abc.net.au/myfavouritebook/>

2. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
a. "Microsoft Rips Off Apple's Workgroup Manager Icon"
  <http://daringfireball.net/2006/12/microsoft_workgroup_manager_icon>
b. "Google Blatantly Copies Yahoo!?"
  <http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/008122.html>

To spare their blushes the copycats quickly changed their sites, but
the posts preserve the moment.

3. Great gift for the office ...
USB Missile Launcher - Computer-Controlled Desktop Rocket Launcher
  <http://www.kleargear.com/5004.html>
"The USB Missile Launcher (aka USB Rocket Launcher, USB Air Dart, or
USB Powered Air Darts) is the state-of-the-art deterrent against those
bored and aggravating individuals that loiter around your desk when
there's nothing better for them to do"
"To defend your desktop from those pesky impostors, all you need to do
is install the software provided and plug in the Missile Launcher to
the USB port on your notebook or desktop computer"

4. "Behind the Scenes at the Microsoft Zune Design Laboratory"
  <http://doodleplex.com/glassmaze/?p=447>
Warning: contains slightly colourful (brown) language.
What a lot of people don't want for Christmas.

5. "Santas face job risks being cheery: survey"
  <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1804117.htm>
"Santas get sneezed upon up to 10 times a day, fend off children pulling
their beards and mop up after children who frequently wet their laps,
the survey of hundreds of men who work as seasonal Santa Claus
characters says"

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
B!?