Would you pay $499 for Cat-5 RJ-45 cable?

http://www.usa.denon.com/ProductDetails/3429.asp

I emailed them and they confirmed the price, saying it’s a “very high end DL cable”.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

So, I totally got an iPod Touch today with my gov’t handout (tax rebate). ZOMG!! It’s totally running Darwin (Unix). I’ve already hacked it, put OpenSSH on it, and I’m cruising around the filesystem like it’s nobody’s business. It’s crazy-go-nuts!

I’ve, of course, installed some new applications in conjunction with my hacking efforts. I’ve put pool on here, soduku, Apollo (AIM/ICQ, etc), a PDF viewer, Chess (a must for any geek), mahjong…I guess I’ve put mostly fun stuff on there. hehe.

The fact that I can SSH into my iPod, though…

…ZOMG!!

Senate to Debate Windfall Profits Tax on Big Oil

They just don’t get it. This country is so stupid, when it comes to corporate taxes. They want to really stick it to those evil rich people, the ones who afford jobs to the lower- and middle-class people and also the ones who furnish us with products.

They’ve engaged in a crusade against Big-*. Any commodity out there that sells in large volume, they’re against–particularly Big-Oil. There’re too many profits there, in their opinions. They get to decide how much profit is too much. They, people who on average make in the 6 figures in tax-paid salary, get to determine how rich is too rich.

Nevermind the fact that we’re pretty much the worst nation in the world when it comes to taxing corporations. And they all wonder why corporations are flocking overseas in droves.

Assuming that they would put this tax into place, do they really believe that “Big-Oil” is going to let it take a bite out of their profits? Do they not realize who’s going to pay for this in the end? The consumer! The very people they’re “out to protect.” “Big-Oil” isn’t going to sit idly by and let their money go out the window into their grubby little fists. They’ll pass prices on to the consumer, thereby causing higher oil prices and, ultimately, higher gas prices.

Ugh.

w00 h00!! It’s about dang time. I hate those weeks after a short week; they seem so frickin’ long.

I found out my suspicions were more than likely correct; I’m getting a check from the IRS with the “government handout” tax rebate, probably all because I took the convenience route and had preparer fees withdrawn. I don’t get why you have to pay “preparer fees” online. You’re compiling all of the information yourself. I know, I know…they’re just charging you for the convenience of not having to go into a preparer. It still sux0rs 😛 Maybe from now on I’ll just go the classic route and do my taxes offline 😛

It looks like my dad, my bro and I are headed up to MN sometime in July. We are going to see family that my bro and I have not seen before. My dad’s side of the family has been rather aloof in our lives, for various reasons. I believe the ones we are going to meet are on my dad’s mom’s side. Anyhoo, it should be an awesome trip.

BSG tonight!! There’s one more after tonight before that stupid long break. I hope it comes back in October and not January or something…because I’ve said this, I’m sure SciFi will be extra asses and make it January 😛 Anyhoo, I don’t think I’ll be seeing it live *pets his DVR* because Ruthie and I are going to see Kung Fu Panda at Monaco, the new toon with Jack Black as the panda.

Ruthie had a hand in cutting the grass on Monday; it was her first time cutting grass ever. I did the edging, which is always a bitch–at least on my back. It’s also the more perilous proposition, particularly when speaking of a house with nothing but vinyl siding; the previous owners made a tiny hole in the siding from their own weed eating. Anyhoo, she did a great fraking job for a nugget 🙂

Already, I’m ready for the day to be done 😛

Overall, a very good movie. There was a smidge more of gore in the film than was in the last, which still leaves it far behind the likes of LOTR for the gore factor–though, compared to most slashers these days, that puts both far behind.

The story was very cool. I had never read the books as a kid, something I may go back and do. I was chiefly into scifi when I was a kiddo, and only started getting into fantasy in college–starting with, ironically enough, LOTR. Scifi is still my primary niche, but I’ll totally dig into fantasy here and there. One day I’ll get through all of Wheel of Time, you’ll see.

It was a comparatively short weekend. Boooo. lol. I’ve found an addiction to Wii bowling. I bowled a high of 221 over the weekend. My last couple of games have been kinda blah because I think I wore my arm out. hehe. I couldn’t get as much spin on the ball as I could earlier in the weekend.

Saturday was a bit of a mini-LAN. We played some GTA4 multiplayer, which was pretty decent. I particularly like the “Turf War” mode, which is sort of akin to “Onslaught” maps of UT2004. You capture points (turf) and try to keep them. The bro pulled ahead of me in rank on CoD4; I guess I should play the frickin’ thing more 😉

They opened an Apple Store in Bridge Street. We went in on Sunday. It was pretty wow. It was the first one I had ever been in–I’ve passed by the one in Chicago a number of times, but never went in. Apple has such a limited hardware set, which overall makes the store kind of boring. They had iPhones out the wazoo, but not so many iPod Touches. Anyhoo, they had plenty of accessories for both on one wall, floor-to-ceiling. In any case, between that, Barnes & Noble, Red Robin and Monaco, those are the only things that really interest me at that yuppie-infested clothing bazaar 😛