Things for which I’m thankful: (In no particular order)
Jeanne, Karen, Sounders season tickets, bed warmers named Carmen, Emily & Bruno, sunny winter days in Seattle, Mexx, time spent with my dad, hope for Jessica’s continued good health, tuxedo popcorn from KukuRuZa, the knowledge that 2010 is almost over, Shellie, designer scarves, Sunday morning I/A Step, Burberry cuff links, a new job I like, new episodes of Glee, aunties Linda & Sandy, inspirational art projects, Fran’s grey salt caramels, Propecia, glitter—my favorite color, the knowledge that I’m not “that neighbor,” Hyatt Gold Passport and their white ginger bath collection, asparagus, veuve clicquot, instructors named Gretchen, shaking hands with Drew Carey, Willamette Valley pinot noir, Lush, GKs named Kasey Keller, winning Victorinox stuff, towleroad.com, Jenna, spa-like downstairs bathrooms, Darren Criss, Shawn & Lisa, June 17, 1987, Portland people named Andrea, strawberry melon Fuze, Hugo Boss, gym buddies named Denise & Amy, orange-faced Hanowa watches, families named Wilkey, beef bourguignon, David & Kathy, The Huffington Post, September 29, 2006, the Pacific Northwest, the power of pivot tables, Cole Haan shoes, insta-hot water, the theaters at Thornton Place, our new family patriarch Troy Gordon, phones with GPS and bluetooth technology, lovely families named Wilcox, Nespresso, Sterling & Kanyon’s military service, good health & continued happiness, Kiehl’s close-shavers squadron, anything rave green, 2(x)ist, defenders named Jeff Parke, Christie & Tinkie, a reliable SUV, My new favorite taste-gasm Red Velvet Frangos, iTunes and the promise of an iPad2 in April 2011, the endsof DADT, weekend jaunts to British Columbia,
…and last but not least, SHANE, the best husband in the world!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Glee Scoop! Fox to Super-Size Season 2
In what's sure to be music to the ears of Gleeks everywhere, Fox is said to be finalizing a deal to amplify Glee's second season.
"Season 2 will be much bigger and much longer," series creator Ryan Murphy confirmed to us over the weekend at PaleyFest '10. "We are talking about doing 25 episoides as opposed to the customary 22."
Murphy added that he hopes to inject the show's sophomore season with a "sweet feeling... like I loved it when The Brady Bunch went to Hawaii. I want New Directions to go to some competition in New York."
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
WOW! I love these pants!
Wow, I love these pants! Everyone's talking about the Norwegian Curling team's pants. What do you think?
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sounders Season Tickets Capped at 32,000 - Less than 1,000 Season Tickets Remain
Posted by: Sounders FC Public Relations
01/27/2010
The Seattle Sounders FC announced today that less than 1,000 season tickets remain for the 2010 season.
RENTON, Wash. – The Seattle Sounders FC announced today that less than 1,000 season tickets remain for the 2010 season. The 18-match season-ticket package includes 15 regular season matches and three international friendlies to be played on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.
“Our fans demonstrated their passion and commitment to the team by creating one of the best home field advantages in all the MLS,” said Sounders FC owner Joe Roth. “They took their match day role very seriously and renewed their season tickets at a 96 percent rate.”
In their inaugural season, the Sounders FC capped season tickets at 22,000 and averaged 30,943 fans per match, establishing a new MLS record for highest fan average per match.
The Sounders FC will host Philadelphia Union in the 2010 MLS First Kick on March 25 to be broadcast live on ESPN2.
For ticket information visit the Tickets page or call 877-MLS-GOAL.
01/27/2010
The Seattle Sounders FC announced today that less than 1,000 season tickets remain for the 2010 season.
RENTON, Wash. – The Seattle Sounders FC announced today that less than 1,000 season tickets remain for the 2010 season. The 18-match season-ticket package includes 15 regular season matches and three international friendlies to be played on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.
“Our fans demonstrated their passion and commitment to the team by creating one of the best home field advantages in all the MLS,” said Sounders FC owner Joe Roth. “They took their match day role very seriously and renewed their season tickets at a 96 percent rate.”
In their inaugural season, the Sounders FC capped season tickets at 22,000 and averaged 30,943 fans per match, establishing a new MLS record for highest fan average per match.
The Sounders FC will host Philadelphia Union in the 2010 MLS First Kick on March 25 to be broadcast live on ESPN2.
For ticket information visit the Tickets page or call 877-MLS-GOAL.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Apple Unveils their iPad
After months of speculation, the wait is nearly over. All eyes will be fixed on Apple CEO Steve Jobs as he appears on stage at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts to announce what most everyone presumes will be an Apple Tablet.
USA TODAY is at Apple's own state of the union, which starts at 1 p.m. ET. We'll set the scene and let you know throughout the event just what Jobs announces - and what it all means.
Among those spotted in the crowd: former vice president Al Gore and Intuit co-founder Scott Cook.
1:06 p.m. ET: Apple CEO Steve Jobs has just taken the stage wearing his customary black turtleneck and blue jeans. Jobs says the company just sold its 250 millionth iPod, while Apple stores have welcomed 50 million visitors in the last quarter.
1:12 p.m. ET: It's official. Jobs unveils the very thin iPad tablet computer. Jobs claims it will offer the best browsing experience you can have, like "holding the Internet in your hands."
1:14 p.m.: The device will include e-mail, photos, maps, built-in iTunes store and YouTube functionality.
USA TODAY is at Apple's own state of the union, which starts at 1 p.m. ET. We'll set the scene and let you know throughout the event just what Jobs announces - and what it all means.
Among those spotted in the crowd: former vice president Al Gore and Intuit co-founder Scott Cook.
1:06 p.m. ET: Apple CEO Steve Jobs has just taken the stage wearing his customary black turtleneck and blue jeans. Jobs says the company just sold its 250 millionth iPod, while Apple stores have welcomed 50 million visitors in the last quarter.
1:12 p.m. ET: It's official. Jobs unveils the very thin iPad tablet computer. Jobs claims it will offer the best browsing experience you can have, like "holding the Internet in your hands."
1:14 p.m.: The device will include e-mail, photos, maps, built-in iTunes store and YouTube functionality.
1:16 p.m.: Jobs is demonstrating the iPad, visiting the home pages of The New York Times, Time Magazine and Fandango.
1:20 p.m.: Jobs offers a quick view of e-mail before moving onto photos. Photos looks a lot like the iPhoto app on the Mac. You can switch the device from portrait to landscape view. Users can also look at photo as albums. If on a Mac, users can get events, places and faces, as well as flick left or right through photos.
1:23 p.m.: Jobs is showing a slideshow of Paris on the iPad. Nice effects. As for managing your music, you can scroll through albums, tap on something you like to play a song. The device will include the iTunes store built in. No word on storage for the device or if Jobs is playing music from the "cloud" or the device itself.
1:28 p.m.: Jobs moves on to the calendar. Users can drag their finger over events to get a weekly or daily view. The Contacts application looks sharp. Jobs transitions to the Maps app. Viewing the Eiffel Tower, Jobs taps a corner to go to satellite view. Users can pinch the image to move in close.
Jobs moves from the Eiffel Tower to the event's current location in San Francisco. He types in sushi using the iPad's virtual keyboard and finds nearby sushi places, including up-close pictures of a local sushi restaunt called Sushi Boat. Jobs now shows off YouTube video, playing an HD video of a surfing dog. Looks surprisingly nice.
1:33 p.m.: "Watching it is nothing like getting one in your hands," Jobs says, before moving on to the iPad's technical specs. The device is 0.5 inches thin and weights 1.5 pounds, thinner and lighter than any netbook. It has a 9.7-inch IPS (high quality) display and full capacity multi-touch screen. The device is powered by Apple's own custom silicon chip.
The iPad will be available with 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of Flash storage. It will also include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a speaker, microphone, compass and 30-pin connector to plug into iPod accessories.
As for battery life, Jobs says it last up to 10 hours. You always have to take battery claims with a grain of salt, but if that is close to being true, that is a big deal.
1:37 p.m.: Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone software takes the stage to talk about the App Store. He says there are currently 140,000 apps on the store. "We built iPad to run virtually every one of these apps right out of the box," Forstall says.
1:40 p.m.: The apps will automatically scale up full screen when you tap "2x". Forstall is launching ESPN X Games SnoCross, an arcade racing game. Looks good. Users steer with the accelerometer. It looks surprinslgy smooth during the demonstration.
Users can hook the iPad up to iTunes and download apps they already have and they're good to go. Forstall says a developer that spends time modfiying applications can take full advantage of the touch screen display.
Apple has also enhanced the iPhone SDK (developers' kit), so developers can go to apple.com today to download. The SDK includes an iPod simulator, so developers can run iPad apps right on Mac during development. Every iPad will have access to the App Store built in.
1:20 p.m.: Jobs offers a quick view of e-mail before moving onto photos. Photos looks a lot like the iPhoto app on the Mac. You can switch the device from portrait to landscape view. Users can also look at photo as albums. If on a Mac, users can get events, places and faces, as well as flick left or right through photos.
1:23 p.m.: Jobs is showing a slideshow of Paris on the iPad. Nice effects. As for managing your music, you can scroll through albums, tap on something you like to play a song. The device will include the iTunes store built in. No word on storage for the device or if Jobs is playing music from the "cloud" or the device itself.
1:28 p.m.: Jobs moves on to the calendar. Users can drag their finger over events to get a weekly or daily view. The Contacts application looks sharp. Jobs transitions to the Maps app. Viewing the Eiffel Tower, Jobs taps a corner to go to satellite view. Users can pinch the image to move in close.
Jobs moves from the Eiffel Tower to the event's current location in San Francisco. He types in sushi using the iPad's virtual keyboard and finds nearby sushi places, including up-close pictures of a local sushi restaunt called Sushi Boat. Jobs now shows off YouTube video, playing an HD video of a surfing dog. Looks surprisingly nice.
1:33 p.m.: "Watching it is nothing like getting one in your hands," Jobs says, before moving on to the iPad's technical specs. The device is 0.5 inches thin and weights 1.5 pounds, thinner and lighter than any netbook. It has a 9.7-inch IPS (high quality) display and full capacity multi-touch screen. The device is powered by Apple's own custom silicon chip.
The iPad will be available with 16 GB, 32 GB or 64 GB of Flash storage. It will also include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a speaker, microphone, compass and 30-pin connector to plug into iPod accessories.
As for battery life, Jobs says it last up to 10 hours. You always have to take battery claims with a grain of salt, but if that is close to being true, that is a big deal.
1:37 p.m.: Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone software takes the stage to talk about the App Store. He says there are currently 140,000 apps on the store. "We built iPad to run virtually every one of these apps right out of the box," Forstall says.
1:40 p.m.: The apps will automatically scale up full screen when you tap "2x". Forstall is launching ESPN X Games SnoCross, an arcade racing game. Looks good. Users steer with the accelerometer. It looks surprinslgy smooth during the demonstration.
Users can hook the iPad up to iTunes and download apps they already have and they're good to go. Forstall says a developer that spends time modfiying applications can take full advantage of the touch screen display.
Apple has also enhanced the iPhone SDK (developers' kit), so developers can go to apple.com today to download. The SDK includes an iPod simulator, so developers can run iPad apps right on Mac during development. Every iPad will have access to the App Store built in.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Apple's iTablet or iSlate: Why You'll Want One
By Brier Dudley
Seattle Times technology columnist
There's one big question remaining about the mythical tablet device that Apple is expected to unveil Wednesday.
We've already learned, from whispers of those in the know, that it's basically a supersized iPod touch with a 10-inch diagonal screen and it may cost about $1,000.
In addition to playing music and video, it's going to display digitized books, newspapers and magazines.
It will have a browser, Wi-Fi, the ability to run Web applications and probably an option to connect through a wireless phone network.
So the unanswered question is, why would you want one? A few possible reasons, if you're so inclined:
• It could be the ultimate remote control for your digital media.
Photo, music and video collections are scattered around home networks, devices and online sites nowadays.
Most people use computers to search and manage these collections. There are some gadgets to search and output this content on different displays in the home, but there isn't a killer, all-in-one remote and playback device.
The original iPod was essentially a nice interface for searching and playing digital music files.
In the home, where the device doesn't have to fit in your pocket, a big iPod could be ideal for searching and playing all sorts of digital media files.
Televisions are increasingly linked to home networks and the Web, but remote controls haven't caught up. Instead of choosing from a short list of shows on a grid, people with connected TVs are searching and perusing vast online libraries of content.
Apple's tablet could control TV content if the TV is connected to a network directly, through a set-top box, to an AppleTV box or perhaps a new Apple accessory.
But the remote has to be universal. It's appeal would be limited if it requires you to store everything on Apple's platform and funnels you through a single video store — iTunes.
• It would be a nice device for reading digital magazines, newspapers and perhaps books. People waiting for so-called e-readers to get color screens and better multimedia features may take the plunge, trusting Apple to get it right.
The tablet is unlikely to use the flicker-free, grayscale display technology that's in Amazon.com's Kindle and Sony's Reader. For many, that would be a small price to pay for its additional capabilities. A combination iPod-textbook reader would also be a hit on campuses.
Apple's tablet is also going to be promoted by publishers frantically searching for new ways to sell digital versions of their products.
Media companies are simultaneously erecting pay walls on their Web sites, which could make it more appealing to get subscriptions on devices like Apple's (or on paper ... ).
• Software developers who rushed to build applications for the iPhone may use the larger canvas to build apps that increase the tablet's appeal.
A new and larger platform would be an opportunity for them to sell higher priced apps than the 99-cent jobs that dominate the iPhone market. It's also a steppingstone toward building touch-controlled apps for the Mac.
Game companies are reportedly developing titles for Apple's tablet. The bigger screen would allow for richer games than the iPhone and iPod, but households that can afford a $1,000 tablet can also afford a full-powered, $200 game console.
• It could be a dream come true for wired couch potatoes, including the people who now use a laptop when watching TV.
You should be able to use Apple's device to browse the Web, read news, check e-mail and monitor social network sites without annoying anyone with keyboard clicks.
You would be able to buy and rent TV shows, movies and music on the device, flicking and tapping through iTunes or Netflix, queuing up something better to watch on TV or the device.
The screen's big enough that you won't have to squint and small enough that you can keep it on a coffee table.
• It's ideal for people who love their iPhones but want something a little bigger to browse at home.
People like Jeroen van Goor, a Dutch Web developer.
A year ago van Goor dreamed up such a gadget "to suit my couch Internet-browsing behavior," he said via e-mail.
The rendering he drew and posted on Flickr was borrowed by all sorts of blogs and media outlets to illustrate stories speculating about Apple's tablet in recent months.
It turns out van Goor's image is pretty close to what Apple's unveiling Wednesday in San Francisco, "people familiar with the device" told the AppleInsider blog last week.
Bill Gates wanted the same thing back in 2005, when Microsoft was urging computer makers to start building tablet-style, touchscreen devices with all-day battery life and 3G wireless connections.
A few years later some companies offered "Ultra-Mobile PCs," but it was early days for the components and networks and the $1,200 price didn't fly with consumers.
• Nowadays, prosperous families looking for a small, shared Web kiosk and message station may want Apple's tablet, perhaps mounted on a dock in the kitchen.
This category was staked out in recent years by touchscreen, all-in-one "kitchen PCs." But with screens the size of a microwave door and separate keyboards, they take up a lot of counter space.
Sitting in a charging dock, a tablet could also serve as a digital photo frame, clock, recipe stand or monitor for watching videos away from the TV.
Eventually a device like this — made by Apple or another company — is probably where you'll get the morning newspaper.
You could even take it along for the morning constitutional, but you'll still need paper for some things.
Seattle Times technology columnist
There's one big question remaining about the mythical tablet device that Apple is expected to unveil Wednesday.
We've already learned, from whispers of those in the know, that it's basically a supersized iPod touch with a 10-inch diagonal screen and it may cost about $1,000.
In addition to playing music and video, it's going to display digitized books, newspapers and magazines.
It will have a browser, Wi-Fi, the ability to run Web applications and probably an option to connect through a wireless phone network.
So the unanswered question is, why would you want one? A few possible reasons, if you're so inclined:
• It could be the ultimate remote control for your digital media.
Photo, music and video collections are scattered around home networks, devices and online sites nowadays.
Most people use computers to search and manage these collections. There are some gadgets to search and output this content on different displays in the home, but there isn't a killer, all-in-one remote and playback device.
The original iPod was essentially a nice interface for searching and playing digital music files.
In the home, where the device doesn't have to fit in your pocket, a big iPod could be ideal for searching and playing all sorts of digital media files.
Televisions are increasingly linked to home networks and the Web, but remote controls haven't caught up. Instead of choosing from a short list of shows on a grid, people with connected TVs are searching and perusing vast online libraries of content.
Apple's tablet could control TV content if the TV is connected to a network directly, through a set-top box, to an AppleTV box or perhaps a new Apple accessory.
But the remote has to be universal. It's appeal would be limited if it requires you to store everything on Apple's platform and funnels you through a single video store — iTunes.
• It would be a nice device for reading digital magazines, newspapers and perhaps books. People waiting for so-called e-readers to get color screens and better multimedia features may take the plunge, trusting Apple to get it right.
The tablet is unlikely to use the flicker-free, grayscale display technology that's in Amazon.com's Kindle and Sony's Reader. For many, that would be a small price to pay for its additional capabilities. A combination iPod-textbook reader would also be a hit on campuses.
Apple's tablet is also going to be promoted by publishers frantically searching for new ways to sell digital versions of their products.
Media companies are simultaneously erecting pay walls on their Web sites, which could make it more appealing to get subscriptions on devices like Apple's (or on paper ... ).
• Software developers who rushed to build applications for the iPhone may use the larger canvas to build apps that increase the tablet's appeal.
A new and larger platform would be an opportunity for them to sell higher priced apps than the 99-cent jobs that dominate the iPhone market. It's also a steppingstone toward building touch-controlled apps for the Mac.
Game companies are reportedly developing titles for Apple's tablet. The bigger screen would allow for richer games than the iPhone and iPod, but households that can afford a $1,000 tablet can also afford a full-powered, $200 game console.
• It could be a dream come true for wired couch potatoes, including the people who now use a laptop when watching TV.
You should be able to use Apple's device to browse the Web, read news, check e-mail and monitor social network sites without annoying anyone with keyboard clicks.
You would be able to buy and rent TV shows, movies and music on the device, flicking and tapping through iTunes or Netflix, queuing up something better to watch on TV or the device.
The screen's big enough that you won't have to squint and small enough that you can keep it on a coffee table.
• It's ideal for people who love their iPhones but want something a little bigger to browse at home.
People like Jeroen van Goor, a Dutch Web developer.
A year ago van Goor dreamed up such a gadget "to suit my couch Internet-browsing behavior," he said via e-mail.
The rendering he drew and posted on Flickr was borrowed by all sorts of blogs and media outlets to illustrate stories speculating about Apple's tablet in recent months.
It turns out van Goor's image is pretty close to what Apple's unveiling Wednesday in San Francisco, "people familiar with the device" told the AppleInsider blog last week.
Bill Gates wanted the same thing back in 2005, when Microsoft was urging computer makers to start building tablet-style, touchscreen devices with all-day battery life and 3G wireless connections.
A few years later some companies offered "Ultra-Mobile PCs," but it was early days for the components and networks and the $1,200 price didn't fly with consumers.
• Nowadays, prosperous families looking for a small, shared Web kiosk and message station may want Apple's tablet, perhaps mounted on a dock in the kitchen.
This category was staked out in recent years by touchscreen, all-in-one "kitchen PCs." But with screens the size of a microwave door and separate keyboards, they take up a lot of counter space.
Sitting in a charging dock, a tablet could also serve as a digital photo frame, clock, recipe stand or monitor for watching videos away from the TV.
Eventually a device like this — made by Apple or another company — is probably where you'll get the morning newspaper.
You could even take it along for the morning constitutional, but you'll still need paper for some things.
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