16.400 exam taken, passed
So today was the first quiz in 16.400, and I went to bed feeling terribly unprepared for it. Hell, I woke up, studied some more, and went to class STILL feeling that yet another bomb was coming my way. However, it wasn't bad at all: it was all T/F with explanations to get partial credit. I may not have owned it, but I sure as hell didn't completely screw it up. That was refreshing.
(Then again, tests that I tend to feel okay about usually come back with miserable grades. Perhaps I should tone down the excitement.)
Ubuntu 7.10: Gutsy Gibbon released
Finally! Ok, since when did I become a Linux powernerd? Honestly, the most important things about this distribution upgrade to me are 1) that it makes connecting a printer 100x easier 2) it saves battery power, and 3) Compiz Fusion has some badass visual effects that I can't wait to sink my teeth into. I couldn't care less about all of the technical changes...at least I don't at the moment. At any rate, after over 2 hours the upgrade is finally complete. Wahoo!
Sony to cut price of PS3
Surprise Surprise:
Thu Oct 18, 10:50 AM ET
Sony Corp. on Thursday cut the price of its PlayStation 3 game console in the U.S. and announced an even cheaper model that will arrive before the holiday shopping season.
The top-line PlayStation model, with an 80 gigabyte hard drive, now costs $499, down from $599. That effectively eliminates the lower-end model, which has a 60-gigabyte drive and has sold for $499.
A new low-end model with a 40-gigabyte drive will go on sale Nov. 2 for $399.
Unlike the other PlayStation 3 models, the new one won't be able to play games made for the PlayStation 2. In a statement, Sony said this was due to a more extensive lineup of games of the PlayStation 3.
The U.S. launch of the 40-gigabyte model was widely expected, since Sony has already announced it for Japan and Europe. It narrows the price gap with competing game consoles, but the PlayStation is still the most expensive.
Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 costs $350 and Nintendo Corp.'s Wii costs $250. The PlayStation 3 has been trailing them both in U.S. sales, and the Wii has been a breakout hit for Nintendo, with more than 9 million units shipped. Sony has sold 5 million PlayStation 3s since they went on sale in November last year.
So...wait up. It's cheaper, but it's not backwards compatible?! Good lord, Sony! One bad move after another--you're sounding like N64-era Nintendo now! All of your competitors are backwards compatible. Therefore, if you don't meet that standard, you're going to lose out. Geezus...who is the marketing manager here, and why hasn't he been fired yet?Joe Torre declines offer from Yankees; will not return in 2008
I already made my tribute to Joe a few days ago so there's no need to do it again. Today's news is about the manner in which it happened, not specifically that it happened. The word on the street was that Torre was en route to Tampa. The assumption everyone had was that he was getting a new contract. All news outlets were reporting that Torre was to get an extention, and as 4pm got closer everyone had their minds made up. In fact, ESPN opened the press conference stating that Torre got a new deal and would be back for a 13th season. The news ticker said he accepted a 1-year return, and the webpage had the following picture:
Then they went to the press conference with Randy Levine. Levine, too, opened up sounding positive. Torre had flown down today, he said, and everyone at the table wanted him to return. Then he explained the deal: $5M with a $1M bonus for every round entered in the postseason, and an $8M option for 2009 if the team made the Fall Classic. He said Torre was happy to hear this, yadda yadda yadda, and then...
Then, I'm not sure what happened. Now, what I heard was something along the lines of "Joe refused the option," which had me thinking that he was retiring along with Old Yankee Stadium. But then I turned to NYYFans and saw a topic titled "Joe Turns Deal Down." Huh?! Listening again to Levine, his whole mood had changed. Apparently Torre didn't just turn down the 2009 option, but he rejected the ENTIRE option of returning altogether! ESPN was a flutter, websites were freaking out, and Yankeedom was completely confused with the delay in correct information. And just like that, the Torre Era in the Bronx officially ended.
To tell you the truth, the initial report of the new contract made me quite irate--move on, Yankees! When I heard the truth, I did indeed jump in joy. But again, this was not to disrespect Joe Torre: I'm thinking about the best interests of the team here.
What do I think really happened? According to Cashman, Joe asked to come down; he wasn't invited. This leads me to believe that he had his mind made up awhile ago. And who can blame him? Steinbrenner went on and issued that statement, and then he wasn't even contacted until 10 days after the season ended. That's kinda weak. Now, did the Front Office--Levine, Cash, Hank and Hal--really want him back? I think it's safe to say "yes," although the $2M cut in base salary from 2007 was clearly a reprimand. And similarly, who can blame them? You can't expect to choke October after October with no consequences. Joe Torre did not bite, however. He went to Tampa to say goodbye in person, and that's exactly what he did.
So what does this mean for the Yankees? Well for one, no one can say that Torre was "fired" or "ignored" or "kicked away" or what have you. He was given a pretty fair deal that he decided not to take. Ulterior motives aside, the FO held out a hand and Joe said no; he decided his own fate. Therefore, I hope, I HOPE, Jorge and Mo get off their high horses and stop taking insult to this matter. If they decide to leave because they can't handle being way from dear Joe, then thanks for everything, boys. But if they truly love the team, I have no doubt that they will return given the way things panned out.
As for a new manager? I hope it's not Mattingly--I love Donny and all, but I feel like he'll be Joe Torre v2. Girardi would be awesome, but there's some fear that his lack of experience with an older team could be problematic (not to mention his handing of a 'pen.) But whoever it is, I'm pretty damn excited. 2008 will be an experiment for sure, but it will also be an adventure.
Stephen Colbert not really running for president
So I guess Colbert pulled some stunt on his show a few days ago when he announced his candidacy. Haha, what a funny guy, making fun of Fred Thompson and all. That's all good. What's BAD, however, is that certain college students across the country think he's serious. Even more, they're encouraging their peers to write him in on the ballot!
Sorry to say it folks, but this is why we need the Electoral College. We simply can't trust the masses to make this type of decision without some buffer in place. I don't care how disillusioned you are with politics--some things just don't make sense. An actor/comedian as president just doesn't make sense. Advising your friends to vote for him in the primaries, thereby stealing votes from real candidates, doesn't make sense. And thinking that such a plan could work? Nope, no sense at all.
My stats on primaries are shoddy, but I do know that presidential elections are decided by (in the popular vote) single percentage points. If there were no constitutional buffer in the way, all those idiots voting for Colbert would end up hurting whoever the Democrats put into place. That is something we most certainly can't afford.
I'll debate the flaws of the EC until I die, but facebook groups such as "One Million Strong for Colbert" most certainly don't help my point.
And now, there is work to be done. Until next time!
