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Question: What's one thing you've learned?

My Answer: If someone's doing something that looks hard, they're not doing very well at it.

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

Question: What is the best sequel ever?

My Answer: Y'know, I can't really say. Star Wars had bad sequels (2 and 5). Terminator 2 is a classic and may be up there. Hmm, yeah, I'm going to have to go with T2 for $200, Alec.

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

I've previously mentioned Zinio on this blog, and its shortcomings, but as I read through my free copy of Mac Developer Journal, I'm appalled by a few other issues.

The magazine opens to a glowing review of Zinio in the form of an editorial. Derrick Story says that Zinio is the best way to distribute his magazine. Unfortunately, it seems that Derrick drank a bit too much of the sugary water.

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Today I ordered from B&H Video a Sony Cybershot DSC-U60. The nicest feature of this camera: it's waterproof. To five feet, but since my kayak really isn't an underwater vehicle, that's fine. It should be able to put up with a bit of splashing.

This purchase only reminded me how much I dislike the whole "memory stick" thing. I've got a Nikon Coolpix 995, which uses CompactFlash media. I have a DV camera (Sony DVR-PD150) that uses memory sticks, but I never use that function. Proprietary media - ugh. Anyway, at least I got a USB memory stick reader with that DV camera. I can use that with this Cybershot.

A small review and some sample pictures, perhaps, when I get the camera. Hopefully in time for my fishing trips next week.

I'm not sure if I should subscribe to Mac Developer Journal, but there's a discussion here that'd dissuaded me at least a little bit. Hell, I didn't even know there was a new development magazine available until I read that entry. Am I out of it? Eek! 🙂

Anyone seen the first edition? I'm not going to pay $15 for something that might be crap, especially in that lameass Zinio format. And FWIW, I have a MacTech subscription, but they focus too much on QuickTime and REALCrap development.

I watch the same TV shows as Steve. Namely, West Wing. I miss Sorkin. This season, though it's not tanking, is relying on cheap drama instead of the intense, thoughtful drama of the Sorkin days. Oh well.

Question: If you were offered the presidency of the United States, would you take it?

My Answer: Yes. Then I'd listen to my advisors, do as they said, and fire the ones that gave bad advice. It'd be one hell of an experience. They say that very few people want to be President, and though I don't want to be - it's not something to which I aspire - I'd take it if it was just handed to me. 🙂

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

Inspired (poor word choice I know) by this mention at Bryan Bell's site, I took the political compass test at politicalcompass.org:

Economic Left/Right: -2.00
Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.28

Like Bryan, I'm largely a leftist libertarian (a mild one at that), if the results of that quiz are to be believed.

Question: Should Marijuana be legalized?

My Answer: I don't smoke it, and I wouldn't regardless of whether it was legalized or not. So, for me, I don't care.

I must then ask myself how it might affect the people with whom I associate. Many of my friends admit to occasional and sometimes daily marijuana use. Some of them are lazy, some of them get the munchies, and none of them are burnouts. So, honestly, very little would change with my friends, except that they might do pot more outside of the "privacy" of their homes.

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I didn't even know that the Matrix 3 was out today. That almost nobody I know knew it either illustrates just how poorly the Matrix 2 was received. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that 3 is any better:

Just came from one of the first showings of Matrix: Revolutions (Germany, don't know why, but it started 2:30 pm here) and came by to drop some comments (no spoilers). To cut it short: not even close to the first one, and honestly spoken way worse than the second one (which wasn't _that_ bad). The ones looking for cool action will hardly find any, neither will the ones who came for the story (like me) be satisfied. Only a few good scenes in and around Zion, some quite big plot holes and unfinished threads and, most important, an unsatisfying end, to say the least. I guess I'll be flamed for my opinion by the die-hard-fans, but hear this: I once considered myself one too until I saw this.

Here are the top ways to find fish:

1. Look for them on the surface or just under the surface of the water.
2. Look for them on your depth finder.
3. Go to "known good spots" and "fishy structure."
4. Listen for fish farts.

Uhmmm… But wait! It gets better!

So a more likely cause was air escaping from the swim bladder through the anus. It was at this point that the team named the noise Fast Repetitive Tick (FRT).

The FRT? That's like the seatbelt extension available to "large" passengers on airplanes stamped with FAATSO, which stood for Federal Aviation Administration something something something. Fish FRT. Heh heh. 😀

My dad used to tie flies, and often, a slip of the tongue would produce the phrase "flying ties" instead of "tying flies." After a few such slips, it became "the way it was."

So, tonight, I went to the Bass Pro shop (mega-store) in Ft. Lauderdale to "fly some ties." Seen at right are the results.

The red and white thing at the top is a goofy little thing I threw together at the end of the class: white bucktail beneath some thick red feathers with some thin white feathers on top of that. I couldn't think of anything to do with the head, so i threw on some eyes and wrapped it with the thread. Whoopty doo.

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Question: What percentage of your income goes towards your hobbies?

My Answer: I'd estimate that anywhere from 10 to 30% of my income goes to my hobbies. I'm a work hard, play hard kinda guy, and I've got hobbies ranging from kayak fishing to gaming, from rock climbing to movies and music. The other 70-90% I need for crap like rent and insurance. 🙂

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.

From this article comes:

"I tried using Musicmatch briefly with my iPod, only to discover it was extremely slow, had a very poor user interface, and caused my PC to hang or crash without fail," Harder wrote.

It hung or crashed without fail. If that's not an oxymoron, it's pretty darn close. 🙂

Question: How many fonts do you have?

My Answer: About 250. 225 or so of those are left over from the times when I used to need that many (or more) - when I did more design than I do now - and the other 25 or so are pretty critical system-type fonts. And FWIW, I like FontBook just fine, thankyouverymuch.

You are encouraged to answer the Question of the Day for yourself in the comments or on your blog.