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Take That, Mad Cow
Somehow being a vegetarian also makes me a Father Confessor—people constantly tell me their diet-altering plans, even in polite conversation. Well, what with the New Year and Mad Cow, the din of discussion from those deciding to carve a little bovine muscle out of their diets is growing slightly louder. In response I say, "Hooray!" and offer some street-level suggestions to anyone trying to cut meat from their diets.
The iPhone arrives…In June
You've got to feel as sorry as you possibly can for the richest man in the world. After all, here's Bill Gates on Monday, giving the keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show, one of the largest technology shows on the planet, and he's one of the most important people in the history of modern computing. He's amassed a fortune by being perhaps the person most instrumental in shaping our experience of computers in homes, businesses and governments around the world.
IN GALLERIES: "The Philosophy of Beauty"
Millsaps Lewis Art Gallery
Memphis artist Tad Lauritzen's work is a joy to view.
ON SCREEN: "Opera Jawa"
Mississippi Museum of Art
Crossroads Film Society presents "Opera Jawa" and "Luxury Car" as part of the Global Film Festival,
DIY Music Studio
During the last mayoral campaign, candidate Frank Melton promised to build a recording studio on Farish Street. Well, he won, but the studio hasn't happened, yet—and with his mayoral future in serious doubt, it looks like that recording studio may go down as yet another unfulfilled campaign promise. (But geez, who's counting?)
[Drive] The Other Mini
It occurred to me the other day, as I climbed into Ms. K's new Toyota Sienna to take it for a spin, that I haven't reviewed a minivan in at least half a decade, and I haven't been inside one in years. The last time time I was up-close-and-personal with such a personnel transporter was when Ms. D and I still lived in Manhattan.
The iTodd's Gift Guide
The holidays are frustrating for a geek. Why? Because we know exactly what we want. And no one else does. Why? Because they're not paying attention. Here, then, is a quick summary of what's hottest for the tech geek in your life and what you'll need to spend to keep 'em quiet. Oh, and do not forget to keep the receipt, because if you're not a geek yourself, you'll probably get something wrong. Happy shopping!
[Drive] The Ultima Armrest Test
I rolled up to Ms. D. and pulled the car to a stop, as I'd successfully navigated the Hertz desk and become the proud temporary proprietor of a red 2003 Nissan Altima. "It's got bird #$@% on it," she said, pointing. n fact, she did not say "#$@%," but rather an actual expletive that I feel I should censor here in the interest of our discerning readers. I will admit that I was not shocked, however, as I have been conditioned to expect this behavior.
[Drive] Less Than Zero
Ms. D likes to point out that I'm less of a car reviewer and more of an obsessive car shopper. She's right on many levels—while I like to take sports cars out for a spin, I don't quite covet every muscle car that comes down the line. I like a lot of cars, and I enjoy driving just about anything different. But what I really like is the idea of getting a good deal. I like a car that's practical and efficient and affordable at the same time. And I'm a bit of a sucker for that new car smell, too.
Fall Colors Arriving
The approaching fall promises exciting colors not only in nature, but also in gadgets. Apple this past week announced the Product Red iPod Nano, a bright red Nano with all the same features as the other colorful Nano models, but with a twist—$10 of the purchase price goes to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa. The Product Red series was started by Bono and Bobby Shriver to encourage consumers to buy bright red products that donate a portion of profits to the Global Fund.
DRIVE: ‘Ion: Say It With Me'
Every week our car-shopping adventure starts out pretty much the same. We have the best of intentions, planning a Car Driving Day soon after the most recent JFP has been printed and distributed. That's the day we promise—really swear—to go to another dealer and see another car.
[TechTalk] Batman Had Robin, Han Had Chewie…
I miss my Sidekick. Recently the PR folks at T-Mobile were kind enough to loan me what they call the Sidekick II, which is actually the HipTop2, made by Danger Inc. (http://www.danger.com). I expected not to like the Sidekick, mostly because I didn't like anime-style interface at first glance. What I found, though, is that I was able to look past some of the cartoonish stuff because the interface is well-designed for the way I like to stay connected.
[Drive] Could It Be the One?
Ms. D and I had a driving trip planned for the long Thanksgiving weekend, and I saw it as a chance to give a good, long test to a car that I might honestly consider committing to. As I walked past the Avis rental lot, I saw that I was in luck—they had a Pontiac Vibe, which Avis rents in many locations, but not generally in Jackson.
Gadget Of The Week
The HipTop 3, exclusively marketed by T-Mobile as the SideKick 3, was recently released at a premiere attended by none other than—wait for it—Paris Hilton. The SideKick 3 offers, somewhat surprisingly, a larger case than the SideKick II, but with a new professional skin and a more comfy keyboard. It also sports a removable battery, a miniSD card slot for additional photo and music storage, Bluetooth 1.2 support, a better LCD display and a 1.2 megapixel camera. What it doesn't support is WiFi, which would have been nice for faster surfing in coffee houses or—say—my house. The built-in applications are very similar to earlier offerings but with a better MP3 player and a few other tweaks. The killer SideKick app is the always-on instant messaging—eventually I figured out I could check my SideKick to deduce who is sitting at their desks back in the office based on their IM client being active, and chat them up accordingly while I'm sitting at home having a mid-afternoon Heineken Light. It's good to be the geek.
Life Management Made Quickie
Wikis have been around long enough that folks are starting to get used to the concept—derived from the Hawaiian word wiki wiki, which means quick, wikis are Web pages that can be edited and added to from within the browser window itself, while you're viewing the page.
[Drive] Year of the Mini?
As another year fades into our collective rearview mirrors—OK, that was cheesy—it offers an opportunity for us to take a look at what the future may hold for us in an automotive sense. Around our household it turns out that 2004 will likely be the same as 2003, if Ms. D has anything to say about it—the Year of the Mini. But despite a recent home screening of "The Italian Job" (which is known around here as "the Mini movie," and has little else to recommend it), I think there's still a little more of an automotive frontier to be explored before we start sending our payments back to Bavaria. Here's a look at some of the things that are in store for 2004.
[Drive] Cat-Like Reflections
Does your car say something about you? It's a question I can't seem to get out of my head, even though, intellectually, I'd prefer not to worry about it. Unwittingly, I'll look around at people I know when I see them in a parking lot and make subtle judgments. A Camry? Interesting. A VW Jetta? A-ha. A Hummer? Oh…I see.
A Filmmaker in Movieland
What amazes me after having read "Scorsese on Scorsese" (Faber and Faber, revised 2003, $15) is how much divergent work this one great American director has been able to get done in Hollywood. It took this book, edited by Ian Christie and David Thompson, to really focus my attention on Martin Scorsese's career and put it in perspective—somehow, before reading this, I was sure that he was at least two different men. But it's true—the director of "Gangs of New York," "GoodFellas," and "Raging Bull" is the same man responsible for "The King of Comedy," "After Hours," "The Age of Innocence" and, yes, the "Last Temptation of Christ." The man whose fame arose in part from his collaborations with Robert DeNiro even directed "Cape Fear" and was offered, believe it or not, "Analyze This."(Good move turning that one down, Marty.)
[Drive] Gettin' That Olds Feeling
I still don't quite get why GM would decide to retire the Oldsmobile name, especially considering that Pontiac is right there, just begging for it. In the cold, careless world that we live in, Pontiac remains; Oldsmobile is no more. I'm still waiting for an 11th-hour reprieve.
[Geek] Gawking At Gadgets
Image courtesy of Apple Computer
Topping the gadget list this week is Apple's new Mac mini, an entire computer that is only a little bulkier than a stack of six or so CDs in jewel cases. Looking more like a coffee cup warmer than a PC, the Mac mini sports a 1.25 GHz G4 processor, 256 megabytes of RAM and a 40 gigabyte hard disk for $499; a $599 model sports a 1.42 Ghz G4 processor and an 80 gigabyte drive. (Check it out at http://www.apple.com/macmini/ on the Web.)