Impending Studio 60 Cancellation Latest Clue TV Too Dumb

What ever happened to letting good television shows run their course until they faded away and the cast could come out beaming to a series of curtain calls? It seems that with the infrequent exceptions of NYPD Blue, Cheers and Seinfeld, any show worth its salt, which has something resembling intellect and sharp dialogue, can't make it past a single season before a dull, drooling, American public finds it too difficult to comprehend, and in a panic, network executives give it the axe.

It happened with The West Wing. It happened to Law and Order: Trial By Jury. It happened to Conviction just as the show was getting some momentum. And now, it sounds like Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is going to be annihilated within weeks. According to Fox News online, cast members of the NBC show featuring Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford have already told friends and family that the show's cancellation is imminent.

In the Gray household, it takes a lot to crack into our TiVo Season Pass list. Given our addictions to the CSI and Law And Order franchise, as well as House, and a variety of late-night comedy shows, we don't have much time to add new shows when they come out, and we absolutely deplore the mindless philandering on reality television and vacuous game shows. Studio 60 immediately made its mark this season and had us looking forward to each episode as it developed.

With many of the characters having become familiar through The West Wing, also run by Aaron Sorkin, the show's give and take and rhythm seemed familiar. The situations were interesting. The dialog was college level, something that looks like a non-starter in today's saccharine world. When Conviction and The West Wing were 2005-06 casualties, I called for a new network to bravely take on these shows to satiate our need for real world conversations and intriguing plots, but the harsh economics of television are too much.

With Studio 60 pulling only half the viewers of the dialog-poor skinfest at CSI Miami, they had no chance of emerging with the #1 position on Monday nights, and will exit a loser, without chance of resuscitation. We're not too happy about it, and we're further disillusioned with the way today's airwaves are going. If it weren't for the serialized cop and lawyer shows, and professional sports, we'd be doing a lot more reading, and even more Web surfing than we do today. But the TV just fell another notch in our eyes. We are not happy with this black box and how it is treating us.

Shocker: I Prefer Windows IE 7 to Windows Firefox 2.0

There's a headline I didn't ever think I was going to write. Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser has always been behind on features - ever since the day it launched in beta in an eventually-successful attempt to crush Netscape Navigator. I hate Internet Explorer and everything it stands for - market monopoly shenanigans, inaccurately designed HTML, and the weakest security on this side of the US/Mexican border, plagued with hacking potential and popups. But now, at least on the Windows platform, the new Internet Explorer 7 is pretty darn good. With their copying of tabs from Mozilla Firefox, and the addition of other new tools, it's definitely giving Firefox a run for its money.

As much as I can, I try to stay on the Apple Mac OS X platform. It just flat out works better, and doesn't try to get in my way. The applications seamlessly work together, and in a secure way. Apple's Safari browser has also grown to the point it doesn't have an equal. But in those rare times (mostly at the office) when I am in front of a Dell Windows PC, there is no Safari, leaving me with two real options: Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft IE.

For the last several years, IE has been a ugly stepchild in the Web browser family, the one you hide in the closet and don't introduce to visitors. Firefox has been first to market with tabbed browsing, browser themes and extensions, enabling Web surfers to "roll their own" experience, and has slowly been taking market share back away from Microsoft - the long-time leader in share, if not in innovation.

But with the recent introduction on Internet Explorer 7, I hate to say it, but I actually like it. Rather than changing the default browser settings on the Windows PC to run Firefox, I've tested the new IE 7 and like some of the settings. The browser's tabbed browsing is good, and a feature called "Quick Tabs" shows all open tabs for simplified navigation. And in contrast to Firefox 2.0, IE loads quickly, renders pages just as accurately (as far as I can tell), and comes with integrated popup blockers, which for years would depend on third-party toolbars from Yahoo!, Google and others. As one installs Firefox extensions and themes, the browser actually gets sluggish, while IE remains light. (See "Is Firefox 2.0 a dud?")

If I want to fight the good fight against Microsoft and avoid all things Redmond, using Firefox is fine, but the gap between the two browsers has been closed in a significant way. If you've sworn off IE forever, give IE 7 a spin and see if Microsoft can change your mind.

BYU TV Is Great Web Video Resource

I don't talk much about religion on the blog, but for introductory purposes, I'm LDS (Mormon), having been born into the church, raised in the church, and an active participant for the better part of my life, with a 4-year self-imposed sabbatical that overlapped my college years being the only exception. While I'm a typical Mormon in some ways, in that I don't drink, use drugs, don't swear often (that I know of), and attend services on Sunday, I'm also somewhat atypical in the way I vote, in that I don't exactly like Utah in any way, I didn't serve a full-time mission, and I don't have kids.

The church has been very impressive in the way that they have utilized new technology and especially the Internet. Unlike many churches, who preach from their meetinghouses and limit their sharing of the gospel with their attending members, the LDS church has a very-thorough Web site, targeting both members and non-members, with a fully searchable Gospel Library, including the scriptures (Bible and Book of Mormon), teaching guides and archived church magazines. While some non-LDS call the church a cult, the religion is in fact, the complete opposite, not hiding secrets within, but promoting openness and welcoming questions.

Beyond the centerpiece LDS.org Web site, the church operates sites for genealogy at www.familysearch.org, and a site for more curious visitors, at www.mormon.org. LDS.org also offers daily e-mails about church members in the news and streams the church's twice-annual general conference talks over the Web in a wide variety of languages. Additionally, the church-affiliated university system, BYU (Brigham Young University) also has adapted the Web, using some of the best streaming video technology I've ever encountered, on the university's BYU TV site, at www.byu.tv.

While for most, the world of online video is one full of stuttering stop-start performance, and inconsistent buffering, or small video windows, BYU TV offers visitors a rich, fast, streaming video experience for any operating system or browser, and lets people select not just from what's on the channel right then, but from a menu of the day's offerings, in addition to special features, including the aforementioned General Conference talks, where the church's leaders, including the prophet and apostles talk to its members. Just this morning, when we were looking at BYU TV, we were entertained to see a "classic" BYU football game against Oklahoma, or we could queue up aerobics videos, scrapbooking how-tos and gardening tips.

While the pedestrian content might not wow you, and trust me, I'm not bowled over by instructional sewing videos and arts and crafts, I was very impressed with the technology, and pleased to see the church and its affiliated university continuing to be on the cutting edge, taking advantage of what the Web has to offer. In an increasingly skeptical world, where many are either turning away from religion, or relying on religion as the basis to blame others or incite hatred, it's good to see a calm, consistent voice available to anybody at any time - and with good quality too.

Listening to ''Surrender'', by Depeche Mode (Play Count: 10)

ANtics Episode 2.34: An A's Halloween

It's a long, cold, off-season, but don't think the A's players are hanging around and feeling sorry for themselves. It's Halloween, and how better to celebrate the holiday than to look at some of the A's players' costumes, and get in the Trick Or Treat mood?


Click to See Larger Comic

Also: Take the Poll: What Costume Were You Hoping To See?

2005 Comics | 2006 Comics |  All Comics | Poll

Who Knew I Was Too Dumb to Work for Google?

Though I've never made a serious inquiry to seek employment at Google, I was surprised to learn this week that Google, in a race to hire talent, is loosening its requirements for job applicants, including their long-mandated requirement of a 3.0 average in college. The surprise wasn't so much that the world's most innovative search engine was on a quest to lower their collective IQ, but instead that this rule existed in the first place. Given the technology industry's many stories about dropouts founding companies, Google would be one of the last places I'd expect to require going back into the dustbins of history and finding my old university transcripts. Yet, it turns out my "stellar" 2.71 average at Cal would have had me rejected from their front door without discussion.

(See: Google Lowers Its GPA)

After graduating from high school with a 3.17 average (3.5 adjusted for AP and Honors courses), I didn't exactly anticipate rolling through Berkeley with a spotless 4.0 average. I'd always lacked the gene that forced me to study and was always distracted with things I found much more important than rote memorization. While others locked themselves away in libraries and avoided seeing the outdoors, I was either writing for the newspaper, editing my homepage, seeing an A's game, or just watching the Simpsons. After my first semester as a freshman at Cal, I sported a 2.88 GPA (to the best of my memory) and the highest it ever got after that was 2.96, just shy of the not-so-magical 3.0 mark.

When this laissez-faire attitude saw the addition of another full-time distraction (a girlfriend) in my Junior year, my grades fell even further, with a 2.0 average the first semester and a 2.33 the second, totaling a 2.16 overall. In fact, during that year, I had to meet with a counselor in the Political Science department (where a 2.0 GPA was mandated for graduation in the major) to explain my 1.7 GPA at the time (5.1 grade points over 3 classes) and say I'd do better in future courses.

Yet, to me, I didn't really care what the final numbers said. While working full-time and forging a double major, it seemed obvious, at least to me, that nobody outside of the university would ever need to know my GPA when I graduated, and to date, nobody in the interview process has. All they saw was what they needed to see - a two line summary showing I'd graduated from UC Berkeley in 4 years with 2 majors. Now, 7 1/2 years out of school, it's my accumulative work experience which is the headline, and my alumni status simply forms as a backdrop showing I jumped through the right hoops in the right order on my way.

That said, I'm somewhat incredulous that Google ever had this requirement, and then stuck by it for so long. How would a 3.2 from a local junior college trump a 2.7 at Cal or Stanford (where their cofounders started), and how would they ever hire anybody from UC Santa Cruz, so famously on a pass/fail system? Was the rule in place to make sure they weren't hiring folks with low aptitude levels, or instead, to make sure their prospective employees were planning to do their homework and not play hooky come classtime?

I just have to shake my head at how such an innovative company who wants to seek the highest level of talent would set such an artificial bar. While they are already getting press for "lowering standards" to acquire less-robust folks, I think it's about time, not that I'm going to revise my resume and offer them a look now.

Listening to ''Jumbo'', by Underworld (Play Count: 5)

SF Bay Area Doesn't Know The Sacramento Kings

Cross-posted at Sactown Royalty...

On Athletics Nation, we have an acronym called "NRAF", which refers to a "Non-Resident A's Fan". I'd hope that by living in the Bay Area, I would be close enough to the Kings that I could follow their every game well and not feel removed from the action (an NRKF if you will), yet I continue to be amazed by how two hours' drive off I-80 and Highway 101 makes it seem like Sacramento is in another state altogether.

Rather than rant in a circular argument about local Kings TV and Radio coverage (slim to none), a scene from Thursday could channel my annoyances...

I'm not one for planning for holidays well in advance. I don't have a Halloween costume. So Thursday afternoon, I zipped over to a local mall and tried to find anything that could meet the minimum criteria - hats, shirts, an all-in-one package... didn't care. After finding none of the stores had anything useful, I stopped at a "Pro Shop" which sold jerseys, caps, and all manner of sports gear. Aha! I could go as a Kings player or fan and keep the jersey for when I made a trip over to Arco!

But it wasn't to be. See... they had plenty of Kings jerseys in purple and black - on the wall, in the racks... but they were all, without exception, for Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic. Hmm... now would I look like a "with it" Kings fan if I were to show up as Chris Webber or Peja? Didn't think so. The store didn't even have any Cal Bears gear, which made zero sense, so I took off.

Now you might be thinking, of course there's no Kings stuff, you Bay Area living, wheat grass sipping, quasi-hippie! You're in Golden State Warriors country! But that's silly talk. If Sacramento is a big league town and can host an NBA squad, there's no good reason I can't hear 1140 AM on most nights, or have some channel that shows me the Kings, given my proximity.

Yet when they do play, I'm more likely refreshing Yahoo! sports and trying to picture just how Artest made that shot or Shareef pulled down a board. While the Internet is a great source of facts, photos, stats and quotes, it's no replacement for solid local coverage - and no replacement for the locals knowing who is actually on the Kings these days... C-Webb and Peja need not apply.

Listening to ''Revealed (Radio Version)'', by Blank & Jones (Play Count: 6)

It Was a Dull World Series

Even though the A's were swept out of the playoffs by Detroit in the ALCS, I still expected to look forward to the World Series, the Fall Classic, the whole reason that 30 teams start off their seasons every year. Whether the A's are there or not, each fall tends to have memorable stories of excitement and flashes of heroism, with stories you can tell future generations. Yet this year, aside from Kenny Roger's memorable cheating with a foreign substance during his pitching start, this has been a truly forgettable World Series, and as I write, the St. Louis Cardinals are outs away from finishing it up and showing Detroit the door.

Not featuring the largest market teams, or any from California, the series has not seen drama, has not seen big scores, and is more known for its issues with weather and the perceived difference between pine tar and dirt. When dirt is the biggest topic out there, you know that the series itself couldn't have been more exciting than... well... dirt.

Now, you could say this is sour grapes from an unimpressed, jaded, frustrated A's fan, and at some level that's bound to be true. As sad as we are to see baseball no longer matter for the next few dark months, we had hoped for bigger, better things. We had hoped to be sucked in and drawn in to the World Series to celebrate those final outs and to see the players jump into each others arms, full of excitement and tears of joy. Instead, when the celebration is over, we'll just turn off the TV, shrug, and get ready for the NBA season to start. (Go Kings!)

Listening to ''The Nightfly (Short)'', by Blank & Jones (Play Count: 11)

Last-Minute Halloween Costume Considered "Most Original"

It's no secret I'm not a big fan of planning ahead of holidays. I tend instead to ignore them until they have crept up and there's no time to prepare anything big. That's true whether it's Halloween or Christmas, anniversaries or birthdays. As far as I'm concerned, most holidays are completely overdone as it is, and they don't need my help to push them to higher levels of grandiose. This year's Halloween is no different. I didn't purchase a costume, I didn't buy candy for potential trick or treaters, and I didn't plan on dressing up for a Halloween event at the office today. Yet somehow, despite a lack of any planning, it all worked out.

This morning, while considering what it would be like to ignore the holiday altogether, and be a "Bah Hambug" to the day's events, I started to think how I could use piecemeal items I already owned to make something resembling a costume. I ran through the items I had around, in my head - from PJs, to t-shirts, to ball caps, shorts - anything... and I came up with the idea to go as a software engineer, simply by wearing a company t-shirt, shorts, flip-flops and black socks pulled up to the knees. After all, some of our engineers wear this stuff every day. 

In my mind, the "costume" fit the minimum criteria needed to say that I had "dressed up" for Halloween, but obviously the minimum. Nobody could say that I had spent too much money, worn too much makeup or any of that. In fact, I ran a very real risk of people not knowing what the heck I had planned. But surprisingly, more than two-thirds of the people who saw my outfit had me rightly pegged as a company engineer, and some specifically identified a colleague who most resembled my getup.

In the afternoon, we gathered to award prizes and offer colleagues' kids the chance to trick-or-treat from cubicle to cubicle. Gathered in the main conference room, they announced costume winners - from most scary, to most funny, and finally, most original. I looked around at every one else's costumes - from ninjas to ballplayers, vampires, princesses and butchers. But it was my name called as "most original", winning me a $25 Starbucks gift card, which I'll probably exchange to someone else at some point. But the point had been made. With almost zero planning, and no investment, I ended up a winner. Surprisingly, nobody asked for a recount. They got the trick, and I got the treat.

Listening to ''4.Five ft 5-Live Sofia 6-7-05'', by Underworld (Play Count: 11)

Apple Updates .Mac Webmail, But Is Playing Catchup

In September, Apple hinted they would be adding new features to the company's .Mac Web-based e-mail, utilizing tools including Ajax, to make the user experience more like a desktop application, and less limited. Last night, with little fanfare, the Webmail site was upgraded to do just that, and after using it to send/receive, delete, open and forward messages, it's not at all dramatic - especially when contrasted with the upgrades at Gmail by Google, Yahoo! Mail, etc. Where Apple could have leapfrogged the competition, they instead opted to play catchup.

Over the last decade, we've picked up and dropped a wide variety of e-mails, Web-based and otherwise, having at various used AOL, Earthlink, @Home, AT&T, Comcast, Netscape, Excite, GMail, Mail.com, Yahoo!, a number of work-based accounts, and Mac.com. On a daily basis, however, I only use two e-mail accounts - the one for work, and my Mac.com account. GMail I use as a repository for lists with high volume, and everything else is a waste. In fact, right now I have 452 new e-mails in GMail, and 1,093 unread messages in Yahoo! mail, 672 of which have been classified as "Bulk". It's not even worth looking at the other abandoned accounts.

Years ago, I bought the $99 a year .Mac subscription to have an e-mail address I could keep using regardless of the underlying ISP. If I ever switch away from Comcast, or need my e-mail on the road, the e-mail moves with me. Thanks to Apple's Backup and iSync services, the e-mails are backed up and won't be obliterated if I suffer a dead hard drive or user error. But aside from that, Apple hasn't given the same amount of focus to their Web-based services as they have the iPod or their desktops, by any means, and even with last night's upgrade, they haven't emerged as anything resembling a market leader.

In the new .Mac Webmail service, replying or double-clicking a message pops it open in a new window, with a simplified button structure - automatically guessing at your next move. The service also comes with a standard 1 GB of available space (compared to nearly 3 GB for GMail), and search functionality - which works fairly well. The major difference between the Web version and that of the desktop would be the archives. While on the Web, you only have your In Box, Sent Items, Deleted Items, and Junk. As I've saved mountains of e-mail from friends, family and commerce transactions over the last decade, I don't have access to those remotely, as they live on the desktop and don't hit my Webmail quota. If Apple tried to use their storage space to give me access to all my e-mail, that would be pretty cool, and that would put them ahead of competitive services at something.

For other views of Apple's Webmail upgrades, check here:
Mac Rumors: .Mac Webmail Updated
GigaOM: New Dot Mac Mail - Live Now

Google Expands Blog Integration, Explains Blogger Outage

Google seems to rapidly waking up to the world of blogs. Although their own official corporate blog is typically bland, and was recently hacked, and their blog search engine has trailed the capabilities of others, including Technorati, the company is taking steps to catch up. Today, Google added the option to search blogs alongside news search, and enhanced their Google Alerts service so you could track keywords across blogs, Google Groups, and news.

Meanwhile, following some very public "unplanned outages" in the company's Blogger engine, some of the techies behind the service have come forward to explain how its happened, and how it won't happen again. The culprit? "Quirky hardware", they say - which isn't too impressive, given Google's cash horde and technical acumen.

It's Hard to Pay BIlls With Eyeballs

In the late 1990s, during dot com mania, the Media Metrix rankings ruled the business world. Geocities fought with Yahoo!, AOL, MSN, Excite and others to show they had the most unique visitors, the most click-throughs, and the most eyeballs. Talking heads on CNBC were ecstatic when a company with major eyeball momentum was readying to go public. But, as we know, the only way your eyeballs will see a lot of these dot mania companies now is if you look in the obituaries or in the history books.

So, if you're not yet ready to focus on profit/loss statements, but think your company has some serious wind behind its back, how do you value yourself? Is it done through the number of users, the number of hits on your Web page? The number of units shipped, or megabytes served, and downloads or views?

Robert Scoble says in this new world, a new audience metric is needed, which he terms "engagement", or how actively participatory the audience is. It's not just about the raw number of eyeballs, but how involved they are - does coverage in said media result in click-throughs? Does a post generate comments and further linkage?

In case you think this is a bunch of flim-flammery disguised as new economy logic, the debate over statistics can make or break company valuations. Recently, Digg has been rumored in TechCrunch to be in discussions with News Corporation for a potential acquisition, to the tune of $150 million. But VentureBeat says that conflicting statistics on the site's reach may kill the acquisition altogether. After all, if you can't agree just how many eyeballs are on the site, then how can you decide how much each eyeball is worth, and eventually, what the purchase price should be?

There isn't a quick fix easy answer, but if a business model isn't sustainable to the point of profitability, then regardless of how popular a service is, it may never be worth it to an acquiring company, for whom the newly acquired service will just be a future drag on EPS and P&L. Just look at Time Warner/AOL. AOL had an incredible user base, but there was no synergy there. Time Warner didn't see the popularity of its content skyrocket, but instead, it eroded from within as AOL became a massive boat anchor. Trying to make a business based on click throughs, page views, user count, downloads, video plays and eyeballs doesn't work any better in 2006 than it did in 2001. I thought we had learned this by now.

Listening to ''Never Knew Love'', by Stella Browne (Play Count: 8)

So... About that No Pornography Clause...

As blogs go, this one is hardly controversial. Our adulation for sports and general geekery doesn't ruffle too many feathers, and the most eyebrow-raising we'll get might be in response to a rant against our current political situations. But don't let that fool you - there are people on the Web who have found louisgray.com when looking for a lot more than the latest insight into Apple or Google or how the Oakland A's are planning their off-season.

For instance, around noon today, I was startled to find a visitor from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia had stumbled upon the site in a quest for "live sex webcam sites saudi arabia". (See here for that site visit) I don't generally associate the religiously strict country to be one that panders to live, streaming, fornication, but it appears there is a market after all.

So why louisgray.com for live sex webcam sites from Saudi Arabia? My thoughts exactly. Well, if you do a search on Alta Vista (and when was the last time anybody used that instead of Google?), louisgray.com is the 7th highest response. (See here)

It turns out that Alta Vista still relies too heavily on words in the page, rather than their logical strings. On that page, from May 2006, I managed to mention the word "sex" twice - once in a song title from iTunes, and once in a joke, the term "Saudi Arabia" once in a note on Jeb Bush, the term "Webcam" in relation to an Apple store opening where a geek proposed to his fiancee, and the words "live" and "site" appear several times.

Did the words "live sex" or "sex webcam" show up paired anywhere? No. That would have given you a better search result... and those search engines that use better rules don't inaccurately say that my site is the place to get your porn fix. In fact, searching for the same string, "live sex webcam sites saudi arabia", doesn't put louisgray.com in the top ten pages (100 results) in Google at all. There just might be something to this need for accuracy in search results.

Listening to ''Assorted Progression Volume 4'', by Nyman (Play Count: 2)

RapidWeaver Application Just Isn't Scaling

Sometimes, you want to root for the underdog. When everybody else jumped to WordPress or TypePad for their online blogging, I tried out a desktop application that would enable a great deal of customization, and the ability to host the site at my pre-existing domain name. Yet, now that I've used RapidWeaver for the better part of ten months, the time it takes for the application to recognize changes and publish new entries has become a serious limitation - sometimes ranging up to 10-20 minutes, dragging the entire computer to a halt, as it grabs every available megabyte of RAM in a violent attempt to get the upload right.

When I first got RapidWeaver, it was very simple to use - type directly into the application, select a category for the post, and hit Submit. The piece would be on the site in a minute or two. But as I continued being active, I noticed that the cursor would be typing letters that I had long since stopped - as the application slowed to catch up. By March, I was typing my entries in Apple's Mail application, much more quickly, and that's how I've done every single post since. The "write in Mail, copy and paste to RapidWeaver" scenario has almost become second nature.

But starting last month, RapidWeaver's need to check every single post for possible edits, to hog memory and cease my desktop from being functional has quite simply gotten out of control. We've posted more than 500 entries to Louisgray.com since the beginning of the year, and don't intend to stop. The benefits of having my own domain name and backed up files aren't exactly winning me over right now, and I've given serious consideration to rebuilding this site again from scratch in TypePad, from first post to last - to enable the near real-time post flexibility I've seen from that Six Apart blogging engine. I'm tired of having to post a timestamp on my stories in the future, to anticipate when the machine will unlock, and through Apple's Dashboard widgets, watch the available RAM trickle down from more than 500 MB to 200 MB and eventually 10 MB, where it stalls, forcing the laptop fan whirring to life.

This isn't meant to be an indictment of RealMacSoftware or their product. For the large part, I've been happy with the application, and not needing to be a MySQL junkie on the back-end as many engines need. But RapidWeaver just isn't scaling for what I need it to. I can't post 3 times a day and have the machine completely useless for the better part of an hour. Something needs to change, and I don't think my solution is to get a new laptop. A full gigabyte of RAM (which this has) should be well enough for any application.

Listening to ''Rabbit in the Moon'', by Sasha (Play Count: 6)

Morning Notes: October 24, 2006

More in an irregularly occurring series...

This morning, Apple quietly upgraded their new MacBook Pro laptops, claiming the machines are up to forty percent faster than the previous version. While in previous years, the mere mention of a potential product release would have had the Macosphere abuzz, this is taken in stride. My PowerBook G4 is doing great at home, and I haven't pushed for an upgrade at the office yet...

As expected, the greater amount of buzz around Apple is instead around their digital devices. Wired has a great, in depth look at the iPod's birth and how it was initially perceived, including a first-person look at how Bill Gates took in the device the day after its debut. Forbes also chimes in on "Why Apple Won". Meanwhile, MacNN is looking forward to how the much-anticipated iPhone and iTV are going to further accelerate Mac growth.

But Apple's resurgence isn't the only concern Microsoft has to face right now. As applications become more Web browser-centric, led by Web 2.0 pioneers and Google, the Redmond monolith is losing its grip on the consumer. On Malik, contributing to Business 2.0, despite going independent, says that while you've heard this story before, it's really happening.

Speaking of online apps, the one making the most buzz this morning, is of course, Google. Google released a new custom search engine through Google Coop, where webmasters can host Google search engine code on their own sites, and drive search results internally, without buying expensive custom hosted software. We're definitely going to give it a look here and at the office, to see if it can save us a few grand a year.

An Everyday Loyal Customer or Borderline Autistic?

Near our offices, you have a handful of available lunch spots in walking distance, and wider variety the further you drive. One of those reliable stops is Carl's Jr. Nothing fancy, but the fast food joint offers enough variety to make it interesting, and it's worth stopping ever couple weeks or so. Given that the Cal Bears football team has a "buy one, get one free" offer on every game ticket, we're finding our trips to Carl's Jr. are coming with a fair regularity - following Saturday football.

But while we have been to the restaurant a fair number of times in the five-plus years at the company, and I can recognize some of the staffers by face, there are clearly others who have made Carl's Jr. an every day experience. One gentleman, quite heavy by any standards, can be counted on to have his lunch there every single day we show up. His routine, without fail, is to get his lunch at Carl's Jr, and then retreat to a corner table with his back to the front entrance. While in previous years, he tended to bring reading material from home, he's been reading the newspaper every time I've seen him in 2006.

His being at the restaurant is as much of interest as any of the menu items. Our first glance upon entering the restaurant is over our shoulder to see if he's there, in his regular spot. Today, arriving a bit earlier than usual, we were surprised to not see him there. Instead, two men (not regulars that I know of) were eating their own meals, likely not knowing the spot "belonged" to someone else. Yet, halfway through our meal, my colleague pointed out that the regular was back, and I looked back to see him wedging behind the table - in the one directly adjacent next to his usual spot, even though there were many more convenient open tables in the restaurant. That he even had to make the adjustment over from one table to that next to it seemed to pain him, as he looked uncomfortable in his new surroundings.

While having a routine is not uncommon, we've all heard about those with Tourette's Syndrome or Asperger's Syndrome who have to have things a certain way, often to the point of exactness, before they are comfortable. As I've never sat with Carl's Jr.'s favorite patron, I've never learned what makes him the way he is. I've never seen anybody sit with him, and I've never studied what he orders, to see if he eats the same meal every day. It wouldn't surprise me if he did, even as his weight has ballooned, even in the time I've seen him.

Other than the obsession with Carl's Jr., and the preoccupation with sitting in the same seat, day after day, there's nothing overly odd about this man. His clothes are tidy, his demeanor quiet, and his hygiene is clean. As far as I know, this could be his only vice, or his only escape from whatever other pressures move him to and fro. But he certainly makes me wonder. All I know is that the next time we go back to Carl's Jr., I'm sure he'll be there, furthering the mystery.

Listening to ''Trilogy'', by ATB (Play Count: 36)

Happy Fifth Birthday to the iPod

The iPod music player is one of those iconic gadgets that seems like it's always been around, but still has that "new" feeling. Five years ago today, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPod to a hall full of tech journalists, calling the device a breakthrough. Though curious, the initial response to the iPod was mixed - what was Apple doing introducing a device that wasn't a computer? And why was Apple getting into the MP3 player business where so many other competitors (including Rio and SonicBlue) were already?

At work, I read reports of the debut with marked skepticism. It didn't seem like something I really wanted, and I couldn't figure out a place I would play it. After all, I am seemingly always near a computer or stereo at home, have a CD player in the car, and didn't anticipate listening at work. It certainly wasn't as if I would suddenly get fit, take up exercise and go jogging with the iPod in hand, and white earbuds playing the best of techno. In fact, when one person on an Apple message board said the device was most likely geared toward 24 year-old geeks, I (being a 24-year-old geek at the time) said I wasn't interested and wouldn't be getting one.



Of course - that all changed when I got home, and watched Steve Jobs' introduction on QuickTime from the Apple site. Not 12 hours after the iPod had been introduced to the world, I had gone to the Apple store and purchased one of the first iPods ever built. In fact, thanks to my thorough e-mail archives, I still have my proof of purchase before 10 p.m. that evening, thanking me for my order.

The price for the 5 gigabyte device?

$399, plus an estimated tax amount of $31.92, for a total order of $430.92, and it wasn't even expected to ship for another 3-4 weeks. Five years later, you can't walk a block without seeing somebody wearing an iPod, and they come in sizes from a mere 512 megabytes to 80 Gigabytes, in a variety of colors, and as cheaply as $79. Yet somehow, I don't feel ripped off.

The iPod, and along with it, iTunes, and the iTunes Music Store, reenergized the world of music for many people, who saw the industry under attack from thievery engines like Napster and Kazaa. The iTunes Music Store gave those of us yearning instant gratification for music a safe, legal alternative that didn't leave us feeling dirty after download. Apple had a mega-hit on its hands, and we were there from the very first day. Congratulations Apple - you've come a long way.

Listening to ''The DJ - In the Mix'', by ATB (Play Count: 13)

Olbermann Takes On Bush's Assault to Habeus Corpus

Keith Olbermann first came to popular culture acting as the tag team partner to Dan Patrick on ESPN's SportsCenter. Now covering "real news", he's made quite a name for himself on MSNBC. As you can see from the below clip on YouTube, he's furious about some of the moves most recently made by this administration. He's sure that we've lost the long-term battle for some short-term feelings that we're "safer today". Regardless of your political leanings, make sure to watch it.

ANtics Episode 2.33: As the Macha Turns

Macha's sudden dismissal after the ALCS sweep surprised a lot of people, but here at the ANtics, we should have seen the warning signs along the way - as he played favorites with players, feuded with the front office, kissed up to umpires and generally tried to go his own way on a club when that wasn't the plan for a manager - an interchangeable cog.

Below - 10 different examples, all brought to you by the ANtics, that display the disconnect as it happened.

1. He offered Adam Melhuse to be ejected instead of Bradley. (ANtics 2.32)
   
2. He said it was "Us against the world." (ANtics 2.27)
   
3. He threatened players with the "Vulcan Death Grip." (ANtics 2.23)
   
4. Rather than arguing with umps, he offered them jobs. (ANtics 2.21)
   
5. He openly called for "Kenny-ball" and threatened to subvert Billy Beane's plans (Antics 2.20)
   
6. He feuded with Melhuse over alleged gum theft. (ANtics 2.12)
   
7. He threatened to cut Saarloos if the pitcher didn't get a haircut. (ANtics 2.11)
   
8. Saying things were "nebulous", he offered no strategy to break the team's inconsistency. (ANtics 2.10)
   
9. In a Dusty Baker-esque move, he once challenged Zito to pitch from both sides of the mound. (ANtics 2.6)
   
10. And always... the lineups. As the season dawned, he promised to bat Kendall cleanup. (ANtics 2.1)
    

That's just ten examples of how we knew there were "Disconnects" with Macha this season - and we didn't even break into the 2005 ANtics. As you know, Macha's been let go, and every day brings new insight into the clubhouse tumult that apparently defined the A's year. We look into the struggles, in "As the Macha Turns".

Click to See Larger Comic

Also: Take the Poll: When Did You Know Macha Was A Goner?
2005 Comics | 2006 Comics |  All Comics | Poll

A's Macha Firing Turns Ugly As Words Exchanged

With the A's reaching the second round of the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, some were surprised as to the speed which the team dispatched their manager of four years, Ken Macha. Initially, his dismissal came just with the saying that their was a "disconnect" between Macha and the front office, namely the team's general manager, Billy Beane. But in the week or so following, the press has been full of players claiming he snubbed them or left them in the dark as to why decisions were made. Now Macha is answering back, tired of seeing his name "dragged in mud."

As fans of the game, we don't expect to know all the nuances of how a team is put on the field, how lineups are decided, and how relations are between the dozens of individuals that comprise a 25-man roster and a team's front office. While on the surface, a team like the A's might be full of smiles and excellent camaraderie, we have seen this crack in the armor grow, revealing ugliness between players and manager, and manager and the front office, that in combination, left no option but to make a change.

A report in the San Francisco Chronicle today said that Macha's firing came from "too much interference". He felt that he couldn't make critical decisions independently, and had to relay orders coming from above while acting as those were his calls. Regulars and backups alike, from Adam Melhuse to Mark Kotsay, Jay Payton and Bobby Kielty are all cited as having confronted Macha about playing time, while it was clear the team was far from unanimity on which starting pitchers should take the mound against the Tigers in the ALCS. That the team was swept 4-0 surely didn't help anybody's cause.

In the wake of Macha's firing, GM Beane was asked if Macha would have been fired had he won the World Series. Beane's answer was quite telling: "We'll never know." This was damning in two ways - one reminding that the A's didn't win the World Series, and the second being that the issues around Macha were more than anything we saw on the field. For a team that should be basking in the memory of a hard-fought season where they took the division title, and swept the Minnesota Twins out of the ALDS, instead the A's are very publicly fighting amongst themselves over who said what when, and it's very petty. It shouldn't be like this, and regardless of who's right, it's time to be done with it. Macha is gone, and the A's have a lot of work to do to make sure 2007 is an even greater success.

More Information:

San Francisco Chronicle: 'Hurt' by players' comments, Macha tells his side of story
Inside Bay Area: Macha Voices Dismay

Listening to ''Gamemaster'', by Lost Tribe (Play Count: 6)

Political Activism + Google = New Rules

The 2004 elections saw the first time blogs were heavily utilized to promote campaigns, to recruit efforts and dollars. While some used the Web platform to communicate ideas, others hoped the sites would become virtual ATMs, keeping running tickers of the amount raised. Now, as the 2006 mid-term elections approach every candidate, national to local, has a Web site, and most have blogs or e-mail lists. So how can you mobilize beyond the fray?

Left-leaning site and political Web pioneer MyDD is calling for a new volunteer-led campaign to utilize Google's popular AdWords program, "to drive as many voters as possible toward the most damning, non-partisan article written on the Republican candidate in seventy key US Senate and House races." Now, when Google users would search on candidates' names to learn more, they might see ads that show them in an unpopular light.

Given reports that the Republican National Committee is funneling millions to back negative advertising against Democrats in hard-fought contests, this turnabout may seem like fair play, but it's yet another way that political partisans are taking the power of democracy directly to the people, and away from special interests and corporate lobbyists.

Other Political Notes of Interest:

Bush faces political nightmare if Democrats win
Democrat/Republican Ads Spoof Mac/PC Commercials

Listening to '''Pure' Frictions Groove'', by Sasha & John Digweed (Play Count: 4)

BART Conversation Yields LA Sports History Trove

In my twenty-plus years of researching all I can about baseball, I've amassed a fair amount of knowledge on the subject, and I'm occasionally trotted out to spar with other trivia junkies to see who can know the most obscure items. While that's fun, it's a rarity when I can find somebody else as passionate about the sport, who also knows their history and is happy to talk about it. This afternoon, on our way home from the Cal football game, we struck up a conversation with couple from the San Joaquin Valley, and got to hear first-hand stories about the LA Dodgers from decades long gone by.

Not devout Cal fans, the couple had rightfully anticipated today's contest to be a good one, and had driven the two-plus hours to the BART station to catch the game. They regaled us with stories about how they traveled to see the Reds take on the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and the Giants at the Washington Nationals at RFK Stadium earlier this year. But the best parts came when the husband told me he had grown up an LA Dodgers fan in the Walter Alston era, abandoning his fandom when Tommy Lasorda took over the managerial position.

Cautiously, I asked him if he had ever seen pitching legends Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale take the mound. He had - and said he had seen one of Koufax's then-record four no-hitters. We talked about speedster Maury Wills coming up in the 1959 season, along with pitcher Roger Craig, who later gained notoriety for losing 20-plus games for the expansion New York Mets in the early 1960s, and eventually becoming the Giants manager in the 1980s. Each of his memories would spark more questions from me - as he remembered Steve Garvey clubbing 5 doubles in a game, and St. Louis Cardinals great Stan Musial setting the National League record for career doubles, forcing the game to be abruptly stopped to recognize the feat. I wanted to know which catcher took over following Roy Campanella's car accident, and what had sparked Juan Marichal's famous beating of Johnny Roseboro after a high and tight pitch.

Our conversation was cut short by our needing to exit the BART, find our car, and head home, but it came too soon. It's not often that I can benefit from knowing the ins and outs of sports and find someone who can not only add stories, but appreciate the conversation. He seemed excited that some under-30 kid would have taken the time to know about the baseball of his childhood, which had long since faded to memories by the time I was born. I left, wishing them well, happy, almost as pleased with our exchange as I was the Cal football game, and I hope that our conversation similarly brightened his day.

A good friend of mine recently teased that I focus too much on the world of sports, and that I've made a jump to try and act like a jock, when I so clearly am a nerd. But there's so much more than just the final scores and the physical rough and tough. In sports, especially baseball, there is history and tradition, and a commonality between random people that is special. You can love sports for the sweat and the physicality. I love sports for the challenge, the energy, the statistics and the meaning of it all - not just for today, but forever.

Listening to ''No More Tears'', by DJ Tiesto (Play Count: 6)

Cal Football Picks Off Huskies 31-24 in OT

We have seen a lot of amazing sports this year - from Milton Bradley's walk-off 3-run home run earlier this summer, to Marco Scutaro's bases-clearing double in the ALDS clincher, but today's overtime thriller between the #11-ranked Cal Bears and Pac 10 foe Washington Huskies has to rank right up there among the very best. Though we have grown accustomed to seeing the Golden Bears dominate their opponents in a hail of touchdowns and pounding defense, today's game started off slowly, with Berkeley down 10-3 at halftime, as the offense could not get off the ground.

As the crowd of 58,000-plus milled around uncomfortably, Cal came out with a new attitude in the second half, outscoring the Huskies 21-7, and taking a 24-17 lead, led by a series of athletic interceptions by the defense and consistent rushing by Marshawn Lynch and his backup, Justin Forsett. But the Huskies were given one more chance with just over a minute left to try and avert the loss. As Memorial Stadium roared, the Huskies quarterback took shot after shot of the end zone, avoiding a turnover on downs, and milking the clock as it ticked down to mere seconds.

Then, amazingly, as time expired, he took one last heave from midfield to a crowd of Cal Bears, one of whom slapped the ball down, where, if it hit turf, the game would be over and the Bears would win. Instead, the ball ended up in the hands of a Husky receiver, who took it in for the game-tying two yard score as regulation ended. Our thunderous cheers died, and those of us who have seen Cal pull defeat from the jaws of victory in our time at the school, shook our heads knowingly and smirked at what had befallen us. Overtime lay in our future, and any team could win. While a win would keep the Bears' momentum, a loss, the team's second on the year, would send them tumbling down the national rankings and out of BCS contention.

In overtime, Cal had the ball first, and Lynch quickly scored his second touchdown of the afternoon, putting Cal up 31-24, as the cannon sounded and the crowd cheered. That set up Washington with yet another chance to deliver heroics and further extend the game, but it was not to be. On the team's second play from scrimmage, the ball fell into the hands of the Cal defense for the fifth interception of the day - effectively ending the contest. Though the lineman gamely rambled 80-plus yards in a quest to pad the final score, he was tackled at the 12 yard line, as fans jumped and shouted, waving their hands in the air, and high-fiving all within reach. Where all had once seemed in jeopardy, all was whole again. The Bears had won. The Bears have moved to 7-1 on the year, the fans have gone home happy, and no doubt sunburned, and yet another great memory has been added to our record books.

Just another "boring" Saturday in the Gray household.

Listening to ''ZeroTonine'', by Junkie XL (Play Count: 6)

Feedblitz 2 Launches, Enhancing Blog to E-mail

Upon logging in to my Feedblitz account this morning, I noticed something dramatically different. After relying on Feedblitz to deliver blog updates by e-mail for the better part of the year, I found the site had been completely redesigned with a new look (and a lot less orange). Additionally, the Feedblitz team rolled out version 2 of their service, which improves feed diagnostics, tagging, and expanded information on subscribers. (Learn more on their blog)

As a free Feedblitz user (so far), I haven't anted up to try the company's premium options, which would let me customize the update e-mails, offer real-time statistics and additional tagging options, but with Feedblitz 2 here, I'll definitely be looking into it - especially as the blog grows in traffic, content and subscribers. (Sign Up Now)

Since its launch, Feedblitz has become the de facto source for publishing blogs by e-mail, including a significant partnership with Six Apart's TypePad, which debuted in the last few months. It's good to see the company isn't resting on its laurels, but continuing to make significant upgrades for its user base.

Listening to ''Take My Hand'', by Andrea Britton & Jurgen Vries (Play Count: 19)

Internet Addiction Fear Tactics Are Silly

Earlier this week, a study, carried out by researchers at Stanford University, emerged saying that fully one of every eight US residents suffers from "problematic Internet use", and it suggests that such an "addiction" can be as troubling as full-blown alcoholism. As someone who is tethered to the Internet around the clock, at work, at home, and via Blackberry, I can only shake my head at his overblown fear-mongering. Just because somebody happens to use a tool frequently, and enjoy its benefits, does not mean they are an addict, and even if symptoms common with addiction emerge, it doesn't mean that it can be as debilitating as something as serious as drug or alcohol abuse.

A few months ago, I jokingly posted my "Top Ten Things I'm Addicted To", ranging from Diet Coke to the iPod, the Blackberry and Internet in general. Given society's need to assign such allegiances as medical issues, some have gotten a lot of mileage from people like me who just happen to have found their routine and stuck with it.

To say that a person is "addicted to the Internet" is just as ridiculous as saying a truck driver is addicted to the radio, or couch potatoes are addicted to the television. While I'm sure there's a whole raft of folks who could improve their relationships with friends and family if they cut back on time spent in online chat rooms, online games, e-mail and blogs, myself potentially included, a significant number of us rely on the Internet for the very basis of our jobs, and find the Internet to present an amazing resource for communication with those same people we're assumedly neglecting.

When the Internet boom really started to take off in the mid-1990s, most of the fear and concerns thrown about were that stalkers were out there to find you, and that your credit card data could be stolen if you made online purchases. In fact I wrote a column for the Daily Cal in 1997 titled, "Net Results: Not that Scary", which addressed this very issue. Now, nearly a decade later, so many people have moved their businesses and their lives to the Internet that the concern is they're spending too much time, but those spreading fear are still out there.

Do I turn on the laptop first thing in the morning to check e-mail, catch up on RSS feeds and check Web sites? Yes. Is closing the laptop one of the last things I do before going to bed? Yes. Do I sit in front of an Intenet-connected monitor all day at the office? Usually. Do I wear an e-mail and Web connected Blackberry all day long? Yes. Is that a problem? No.

The number of hours in a day are still 24 - but the way I consume those 24 hours are differently distributed than they were before the Internet played such a role. Now, instead of staying up to see SportsCenter to learn the scores, I have already gotten the scores online as well as photos and recaps. The time taken to get that info is a lot less. Instead of calling home and talking with the family, I've read their blog, they've read mine, or we've shared comments and e-mail. Those calling us "Internet Addicts" akin to drunken louts who have given up their futures for the bottle is irresponsible and silly. We've just reapportioned our time and get more done - via the Web.

Pavlov Response In Reverse

Ivan Pavlov's research centered around conditional reflexes, most notably for his work on dogs' anticipation of feeding, and how they would drool at the sounds associated with dinner, even if the food had not been presented. As a result, something can be called "Pavlovian" if you respond immediately to a sound in anticipation of what will come next.

In our home, our 16 year-old beagle thinks she has us mastered. Her mealtimes are fairly regular, as soon as I get up in the morning, and around 5:30 in the evening. My wife and I work together to make sure somebody gets home around 5:30, and at latest, six, to get the beagle her dinner, and as far as the dog is concerned, the rest of the day should be focused on an intermittent schedule of napping and snacking. Yet, despite her inability to master the English language, she can communicate quite well, and has discovered a way to summon our attention through a Pavlov-like action.

If her water dish runs low, whether intentionally or not, her drinking the lowest levels of the water causes her dog tags to hit the side of the metal bowl with a "ding, ding, ding!" While she won't directly tell us that her water is low, and she would like a refill, the bell-like "ding, ding, ding!" stops me from what I am doing, forcing to me to walk into the kitchen and fill her water dish, as expected. In effect, that turns our roles in reverse, with her using a bell to manipulate me.

It may be time for some experimentation of our own. What if we changed the bowl to plastic? How would she tell us then?

Listening to ''The Great Escape'', by BT (Play Count: 6)

Amid Speculation, Apple Continues to Execute

Yesterday's record quarter for Apple came at a time when many analysts, media and fans are eager to see the company debut the next "big thing" to rival the iPod. With the device reaching it's five-year anniversary this month, Apple has morphed from niche computer maker to a serious brand leader for consumer devices, as well as top-notch computers and software. Now, everyone is guessing as to what is coming next from Cupertino.

It has been a long-held tradition among Macintosh supporters to try and get an early scoop on the next Apple rumor. Sometimes, they get it exactly right, as AppleInsider did with the G4 Cube years ago, or they get it wrong - as SpyMac did with the infamous iWalk. But as the iPod has transformed the company, you see more mainstream publications piling on, and analysts speculating when a new product will debut to impact revenue.

In the last two years, the most common demands are for Apple to debut a cellular phone and service, dubbed "iPhone", an Apple media center for the living room, and an iTunes movie download service, with a "true" video iPod. In the last few months the iTunes movie download service has been introduced, and iTV was previewed, though you can't buy one just yet. That leaves the iPhone and true video iPod to come.

Earlier this week, a site called TrustedReview said they had "a conversation with an extremely well informed exec" who spilled the beans on timing for the new touchscreen iPod. As if executives have opted not to honor NDAs and cross Steve Jobs. Not a good plan, especially now that we know companies like HP are all too happy to check your cell phone records in an attempt to plug leaks. Yet, the site says December is when we'll see the new iPod, explaining, partially, why Jobs to date has been so dismissive of Microsoft's Zune music player, as he was in Newsweek, recently. Meanwhile, also this week, Forbes says the new iPhone would debut in January. When Forbes starts rumors, you know something is up.

But while everybody is salivating over what's next, Apple is simply getting it done. The company is putting serious pressure on its rivals at Microsoft and Dell, and taking market share. Just imagine the hubbub when all these unannounced products actually do come to life...

Less Than One Month Left for GOP Oligarchy

Despite the White House's rosy outlook and continued denial over the country's strong opposition to their policies, voters across the United States are tired of the lies and corruption and scandal promoted by the Republican party and its leaders, and are ready to make a change. Early this November, for the first time in way too long, we are going to see a massive shift in Congressional party affiliations - one that threatens to sweep the Republicans out of the majority in both the House and the Senate.

Earlier this summer, the question was focused on whether the Democrats stood for anything, and if they could gain the necessary momentum to put a dent into the GOP's lead. Now, the question isn't if they will put a dent in it, but how big. Some are saying the margin of turnover from Republican to Democratic-held seats ranges anywhere from 20 to 50 seats in the House, and every poll I've seen has the Democrats eking out a slight majority in the Senate as well.

Aside from the omnipresent War On Iraq, now into its 4th year, Republicans have been fighting against self-made scandals involving Mark Foley and Jack Abramoff, and continued strife abroad, in Iran, in North Korea, and in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, the Democrats, powered by Web-initiated campaigning and fundraising, have promoted candidates in nearly every race, and are set to do battle to make a change.

Yet, just like every other important topic under the Bush presidency, the GOP is completely out to lunch. Earlier this week, the Washington Post noted that the White House was "Upbeat About GOP Prospects", despite the fact that other papers, including the New York Times, noted the Republicans had abandoned some once-close races in favor of others, focusing on the "Best Bets" to try and maintain a majority, at any cost.

Change is in the wind, and after seeing the Bush presidency, hand in hand with a stubborn, pigheaded Republican-led Congress, turn back nearly all the gains of the Clinton years, we are weeks away from some first steps to regain the country's glory. All we have to do is vote.

Listening to ''High on Life'', by DJ Encore (Play Count: 9)

I Bet Wrong On AAPL, Again

This afternoon, Apple announced blowout numbers, including profits of $546 million on 1.6 million Macs sold (1 million portables) and nearly 9 million iPods in the just-concluded quarter. As a result, the stock is up more than five percent after hours, to $79 a share, and I'm not benefitting, as I sold all of my AAPL shares at a measly $72.87 a week ago Wednesday.

I have followed Apple Computer stock closely for the better part of a decade, and started investing with a measly 25-share pickup in 1999. Though not always invested in AAPL, it's always been on my watch list. I thought I had the stock figured out. In 2005, along with my Google (GOOG) stock, I had made a good profit, but the heady times where I could expect a 2-3x improvement are long behind us. As a result, I've bought and sold the stock frequently, hoping to cash in by timing the dips and the peaks.

In the last two weeks, with CEOs losing their jobs over accounting stock options issues, I believed that Apple was still at risk for yet more bad news. I thought that even if they had a strong quarter, the uncertainty and potential restatement of previous quarters would be a drag on the stock. Beyond that, anyone who watches AAPL closely knows that even the slightest hint of weakness can cause a tidal wave of financial negativity. With a product transition to Intel processors, and the occasional analyst note regarding slowing iPod sales, I thought I was the smart one by selling my stock for a profit and getting out below $73. Maybe a decrease after earnings would get me a chance to buy in again in the mid to high 60s?

Clearly, I was wrong. Again. And now, while my money sits in cash at eTrade, those who kept the faith and tried not to game the stock are reaping the rewards. I still love my Macs, but I'd love them even more if I wasn't such an idiot investor.

Never Assume Rationality

The minor to medium changes continue to take place on this blog, as I work to make it more navigable, search engine friendly, etc, or to better represent what people can find when they do drop by. Most clearly, the site now has a title identifying it as a "Silicon Valley Blog" with a focus on technology, sports and politics. Many blogs are successful through niching themselves in a segment that is underserved, while others largely cater to friends and immediate family. This one, so far, is in between. It's not heavily marketed, but people should know what they have found.

Another addition is a slogan (for now) that says to "Never Assume Rationality". It derives from a conversation I had with a coworker nearly five years ago, where the two of us were debating internal strategy and how we could pitch a concept to those at higher management levels. When I questioned how it possibly could be turned down, and wondered aloud as to one individual's reaction, I was told that my big mistake was in "assuming rationality." If I came in with the fundamental expectation that those around us were rational, I could be blindsided. Instead, the new approach was to make the case and withstand all potential objections, be they rational or not.

We don't live in a Mr. Spock world of black and white, logical or illogical. Much of what we do requires the input and/or approval of others who may have widely different viewpoints, goals or expectations, and though we may both be trying to act rationally, our own actions can seem way off the mark to others.

Additionally, on a more fun note, it's not entirely rational to devote so much energy and value to non-essential things such as sports, or technological gadgets. One's "fandom" for the Oakland A's, for Apple Computer, or for one political party over the other can sometimes border on the irrational. And here, at least, that's okay. As a blogger, I'm not a journalist. I don't need to be impartial, and I don't need to be rational. So don't assume I will be all of the time.

Listening to ''Cherry Pie'', by Underworld (Play Count: 4)

The Oakland A's Fire Manager Ken Macha

Well, that certainly didn't take very long. Only two days following the A's elimination from the playoffs at the hands of a four-game sweep by the Detroit Tigers, manager Ken Macha was fired from his post, for the second consecutive season, and this time, it looks like the canning will stick. You might remember that he was similarly let go in 2005, only to resurface a few days later as the A's "new" manager, but this time around it seems that General Manager Billy Beane is ready to move on and give an opportunity for a new face to guide the team, who reached the ALCS for the first time in 14 years.

Ken Macha has never been a flashy, energetic manager.  In his time as the A's leader, he had a complacent, laid back attitude, and this often led fans to think he didn't care or wasn't as involved in the games as he should have been - especially in stark contrast to managers who were as commonly seen on TV as their own players, like the Angels' Mike Scioscia, the Tigers' Jim Leyland or the Yankees' Joe Torre. He also tended to make decisions a lot less quickly than fans wanted - whether it was leaving pitchers in way too long, until a game was out of hand, or sticking with ridiculous lineups that didn't take advantage of the players' skills. Even when those lineups would fail, you could bet your bottom dollar they would be trotted out the following day.

Yet, somehow his teams tended to win, at a 57% clip (4 of every 7 for years), which isn't a bad mark. Every season, his A's were above the break-even .500 mark. Following a disastrous May, Macha helped lead the team to the division title, and there has been talk of his being a candidate for Manager of the Year (behind the favorite, Leyland). I believe that a team's success is more indicative of the players' talent than the manager's slight of hand, but it didn't look as if Macha was all that strategic, and reports have said that Macha rapidly fell out of favor with a number of his players, both backups and regulars, some of whom said they did not want to return to the A's if he were still in charge. When a manager has lost the respect of his players, it is very hard to regain it. Sports history is littered with managers who ran afoul of the players and didn't last long.

Macha's failures have been a longtime running joke at Athletics Nation, where seemingly every poll included an option to "Fire Macha Now", as if that rash decision would fix everything. Now that he has been fired, a new era will start for the team, who in large part will come back to 2007 intact. As the cold winter months move on, and Spring Training looms in the horizon, a new man will be running things in Oakland, and you won't have Macha to kick around any more.

Related Links:

The ANtics, Issue 8: Ken Macha - Kung Fu Master!
The ANtics, Episode 2.27: The Mind of Ken Macha
Athletics Nation: The Internal Candidates
Athletics Nation: FIRED MACHA NOW!!!

Listening to ''The Misterons Mix'', by Underworld (Play Count: 5)

Enough With the Echo Chamber, Already

One of the most-common themes you will see in the blogging world is the story of the echo chamber, where it's believed a blogger truly has an audience of one: themselves, or that an echo chamber exists - where they continue to post despite a lack of interaction, and even where there are occasional comments, they are from a small group who keeps to themselves. As a result, the blog, like a black hole, collapses onto itself, signifying nothing.

While some would argue a blog's success should not be counted in number of page views, or visitors or comment count, those blogs considered the most successful very often have a vibrant of community of people sharing ideas, and bouncing their commentary off experts. Otherwise, you may as well just be posting your diary online for everybody to read, and quite honestly, very few people really care what you had for breakfast.

Louisgray.com was started as a natural metamorphosis from a static Web site to one updated more frequently, to share experiences, and offer a new take on news, sports and technology. It has no budget, and I have a real full-time job, so it's not as if I expected to retire on Google AdSense revenue any time soon (I haven't even looked into the possibility). But while I've continued to post, with more than 500 entries since the beginning of the year, the lack of comments at time seemed surprising. I felt the topics we were discussing were of interest and timely, and the ANtics never failed to get responses elsewhere. So why the silence here? Was it truly because this blog signifies nothing?

Turns out the answer is likely somewhere between the two. While making a follow-on comment to last night's post on how my iPod was trying to commit suicide, I noted the comment didn't immediately appear on the front page. It turns out, of all things, that every single comment that has been posted to louisgray.com since the end of March has been pending moderation, and I hadn't gone through and approved them. Oops. To make a long story short, I went into Haloscan and approved them all last night, meaning the "Comments RSS" link isn't empty, and if you had anything to share, we're finally listening.

And - one last thing... yes, I hate it when stuff like that happens. Makes me feel like a tech newbie.

ANtics Episode 2.32: Milton Bradley, Mr. Intensity

In a four-game series against Detroit where nearly all the A's struggled, right fielder Milton Bradley showed an intense desire to will the team on his back - hitting for power and average, making circus catches in the outfield and playing through pain. The ANtics looks in at his performance and what this means for his future on the club...


Click to See Larger Comic
Also: Take the Poll: Was 2006 Bradley's Peak, or Can We Expect More?
2005 Comics | 2006 Comics |  All Comics | Poll
Listening to ''Brighton Beach'', by Télépopmusik (Play Count: 6)

My iPod Is Trying to Die

Those who are the biggest supporters are often those who are the most tested. I launched into the iPod Revolution feet-first nearly five years ago, and have been a loyal customer, from the 5 GB first generation to the 20 GB second generation, and when that 20 GB iPod was foolishly left behind on a plane last year, I anted up to the 60 GB iPod Photo - then top of the line. Now, there's a very real chance that it too will become a device of the past, as in the present, it's stuck, and won't even reboot.

Unlike most of the iPod community, I use the iPod for much more than music. In fact, it serves as my remote backup device between my home and office computers. This enables me to work on projects regardless of location. But with it, I often become too reliant on the iPod, with the expectation it is failsafe, and neglect to backup. I learned this tragically last year when all my data was wiped out, and it was made incredibly difficult to rebuild.

This year, I've tried to do better. The last full backup I did of the device (files, not music) was September 18th, and if I think hard, there's very little I couldn't rebuild out of e-mail attachments to fill in the gaps if my iPod chooses not to wake up. Most of the files I build are later sent somewhere, so with some diligence, I could upload and download to get myself up to date.

But for now, I'm still frustrated. In preparation for putting together my weekly report for the office via PowerPoint, I plugged in the iPod to my home laptop (to get last week's and use that as a template). But I noticed it hadn't mounted on the desktop, and I unplugged it. Then, I noticed the iPod screen was effectively frozen (as it is now), saying 3:31 p.m. and the familiar "Do Not Disconnect" symbol. Holding the device up to my ear, I didn't hear the spinning of the hard drive, and pressing the menu and play/pause button for 10 seconds and more didn't reboot the device, as it is supposed to.

So - here we are - do we go to device number four, and use that as the excuse to get a "latest and greatest" video iPod, when all the rumors say the next one, the widescreen, is "just around the corner"? Do I instead take the opportunity to get a new laptop at work, and eliminate the iPod middleman? If I don't manage to wake up this little white rectangular box, we're going to end up spending money and time I don't have.

Listening to ''Sydney'', by Gabriel & Dresden (Play Count: 10)

Tech Notes for October 15, 2006

Yahoo! and Google both went after YouTube, and Google won. But while many are discussing how Yahoo! could potentially respond, with rumors around a Facebook acquisition being widely discussed, some outliers are suggesting that Yahoo! itself could be in play, given a relatively-low market capitalization, and a wealth of content. Proposed potential suitors range from telecom carriers, including AT&T and Comcast, to the more wacky, including Exxon and Phillip Morris. Really... you could offer gas points or cigarettes for frequent searching, the author writes.

Google's deal for YouTube made sense, according to the New York Times, but would picking up Yahoo! make sense for a carrier like AT&T or Comcast? I can't help but be reminded of the Excite @Home debacle, which at the time of announcement, seemed like the perfect synergy.

It's also interesting to learn about a Google acquisition that didn't happen. According to a new book, Google offered north of $30 million for the social networking site, Friendster, but was turned down. Since then, Friendster has just been destroyed by MySpace, no doubt in part to having a weak technology infrastructure, the book says.

Taking an eye to the more embattled mega-companies, the San Jose Mercury News has a large, in-depth look at the HP pretexting crisis, its origin, and what it means for the once-respected Silicon Valley giant. (How Not to Fix a Leak), while the New York Times speculates that the much-delayed Windows Vista launch may be the end of the road for Windows. What, no blue screens in 2010? I think I'm going to cry.

Listening to ''Enemy'', by Gabriel & Dresden (Play Count: 13)

Mercury News Covers Animosity to "The Wave"

Last month, I was surprised to learn the Oakland A's ties to the sports fan tradition of the wave. Never a big fan of the practice, I've grown increasingly annoyed with it as fans start it at inappropriate times, or it gets in the way of those fans who are focused on the game. When I wrote a blog entry here and on Athletics Nation about it, it apparently garnered the awareness of reporter David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News. Writing a piece on the wave's official 25th anniversary, he contacted me to see if I could help him "have the totality of the anti-wave movement represented."

So, always eager to help, we did our part, and that story, now published, can be found both online and in the Sunday edition of the paper. While my entire reply could not be included, given its length, I was the only person who was a named opponent.

The quote was as follows:

"The wave is a travesty. Usually started by inattentive, inebriated fans who would struggle to tell you the current score, let alone the situation of the game, the wave violently distracts from the activity on the field.''

Fairly snooty, right? If you thought that was bad, you should have seen my rant where I also said it was better suited to LA and Anaheim Angels fans, or its ties to superstition. Any good fan will tell you the wave is simply bad luck.

The article can be found here:

It's 25, Was Begun By An SJSU Alum, and is Beloved, Or None of That
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/15763750.htm

Listening to ''Precious (DJ Dan 4 A.M. Mix)'', by Depeche Mode (Play Count: 6)

Distracted, I Blow Off Appointment With Repairman

Before the Saturday sports got started, I thought I would get something accomplished today, so I took a few of my watches to a nearby watch repair shop - three to get new batteries, and two to have repairs made to the bands. After I had ignored the task for a few months, I thought it was about time to do something useful.

I drove up to Cupertino and met a kind man who said he could take care of everything, cheaply, and get it finished, all by this afternoon. He took down my name and phone number, and I swore I would be back between 4:30 and 5 to pick them up.

Then I went grocery shopping, put everything away, and settled in to watch the A's game. With the A's game completed, I wrote the previous post, and relaxed, ready to endure what may be a long, cold, winter, baseball free. Then I looked at my one remaining good watch, and noted the time: 6:30. I had completely forgotten my appointment, and the kind old man who no doubt got everything done I had asked, was left to shut down his store without seeing me tonight. Also, given he had asked me to pay upon receipt, he hasn't gotten anything for his efforts either.

Wow - do I feel bad. But I can't go over there now, as the store's closed, and it will be closed Sunday and Monday as well. I may have to trek up there on Tuesday as soon as I can, and deeply apologize. It may be a bigger deal to me than it is to him, but I sure do feel like a louse.

Listening to ''Dimensiond - Tonight'', by Club Class (Play Count: 3)

The A's Season Ends With a Bang, and a Sweep

Just as quickly as the A's had dispatched the Minnesota Twins in the ALDS, sweeping them in three games, they were easily handled by the World Series-bound Detroit Tigers, who wrapped up their four game sweep of the A's tonight with a bottom of the ninth, two outs, three run home run by Magglio Ordoñez, making the final tally 6-3 in their favor. Comerica Stadium erupted in celebration and shouting, just as McAfee Coliseum had done just a week and a half ago, when the A's had clinched an ALCS birth for the first time in 14 years. But this time, the A's left the field, some hanging their heads, knowing that tonight's game was the last they will play in 2006, having come so close, but left so far from reaching the goal - a World Series title.

In the months to come, as individual players and plays are dissected and examined, there may be much made of Mark Ellis' injury, Eric Chavez's comments that the Tigers were the better team, Frank Thomas' lack of hitting in the series, and as always, the same platitudes regarding Moneyball and how the A's "stuff" just doesn't work in the playoffs. But even in this loss, we are pleased with how the team forged its way into one of the last four to be playing, as 26 teams had long gone home. Despite a payroll that came in at one-fourth the size of the bloated New York Yankees, and tens of millions less than the division rival Angels, the A's were the ones playing deep into October.

2006 was the first time I've ever owned season tickets for the A's, and though driving up and down Highway 880 twice a week for an entire summer got tedious, I can't think of any time I was disappointed I went. The more than 40 contests (and likely 50, including Spring Training and playoffs) we took in this year were a fantastic way to follow the team up close and root them on to the best of our ability. We know they aren't perfect, and today's loss (as with the previous three) is disheartening, but as fans, we just need to take a deep breath, and move on. We will find other obsessions to focus on through the cold, lifeless, winter months, be they other sports, politics, and as always, there's plenty of work to do at the office. And there's always Athletics Nation. That crowd of A's fans is always ready to talk green and gold, regardless of the date, all year round.

Tonight, we'll feel empty, and all next week, we will have to take sympathy and make excuses for the loss to colleagues who see us representing the team, but we'll pull through. I wanted to say thanks to the A's players, management and ownership for putting together such a great season with such likeable players, and we hope to push even further - in 2007.

Listening to ''Love You More (Extended Vocal Mix)'', by Armin van Buuren (Play Count: 4)

Blackberry 7130e Handheld Is Very Cool

When it comes to handheld cell phones or PDAs, I fell off the leading edge years ago. After being one of the first to embrace the Handspring Visor platform in the 1999 timeframe, I moved on and ditched the Palm OS altogether a few years ago, in favor of the most rudimentary of Blackberry devices, which simply sent and received corporate e-mail. Of course, this meant I needed a second device, a real cell phone, to act as the yin to its yang. But as time has passed, the Blackberry has taken over for remote e-mail, Web browsing and cell phone calls. Just last week, I managed to get my hands on the 7130e handheld model, and I would likely run out of superlatives for it if I tried to tell you how cool the darn thing is.

Unlike the traditional clamshell Blackberry, the 7130e is slimmer and taller, shaped more like a traditional cell phone, and offering a tall, brightly lit color screen, with all the familiar applications for out of office communication. The largest difference between this device and the others I've tried is its keyboard. Venturing away from the standard QWERTY keyboard, the 7130e doubles down by squishing two letters on each key, and through a sophisticated database, it inherently guesses as to the word you are typing, and learns as you go along. Though this initially made me nervous, it has proven much better than I had anticipated. I can easily type long sentences without making any errors or typos, and the longer the words, the more likely the Blackberry is to get it right. In fact, it's words like "get" which have the same keys as "hey" which are more trouble.

Contrasted to previous models I've used, the 7130e has an excellent screen, regardless of the background lighting, and the device's operating system is sophisticated enough to offer passable Web browsing, and most importantly, real game playing. Within an hour of getting the new Blackberry, I had purchased and installed Blackberry versions of Spades, Hearts, and Cribbage, to go along with the free Klondike and BrickBreaker, which came with the device. Now, instead of your fearing a distracted motorist on a cell phone call, you have to deal with me trying to make 15s and 31s at the steering wheel when I zip through the intersection. Don't think I won't be either...

If you're already using the Blackberry platform, and have been cruising along with an older generation device, it's time to trade up. If you haven't yet switched, there are very few reasons not to anymore. Blackberry is the de facto standard in the workplace, and is making inroads to consumers as well. Given its not some wacky version of Windows Mobile helps too.

Listening to ''Culture Flash'', by Ministry Of Sound (Play Count: 10)

Am I Exempt From Casual Fridays?

This morning didn't feel like a button-down long sleeve shirt and slacks day. Vaguely anticipating the A's were not going to be in a good way in time for their afternoon game against the Tigers, I thought I'd show my colors in the office by going casual, wearing jeans, an A's shirt and ballcap. But somehow, all my A's shirts were in the laundry, so I instead grabbed an old t-shirt out of the drawer, and headed off to work, not in my usual fare, but something more appropriate for your standard Silicon Valley engineer. Yet, given the reaction, you would have thought I'd shown up shirtless or with a buzz cut.

In my senior year at UC Berkeley, when I was trying to pull double duty by attending classes and working in the Silicon Valley, it was common that I'd show up to lectures or class discussions in a button down shirt and slacks, while the rest of my classmates were the definition of casual. I had mentally moved on beyond graduation, and so had the wardrobe.

Since graduation, I've tried to appear professional, sometimes to belie my youth - in an attempt to be taken seriously, and have consistently dressed the part. In fact, in the summer of 2001, when I asked for a week off from work, I was told by my boss that he wouldn't sign the vacation slip unless I showed him a store receipt proving that I had purchased at least one pair of shorts. Truth was, I didn't have any until I met his demands.

As a result, today's incursion into jeans and sneakers land raised quite a number of eyebrows around the office, as did the fact I hadn't shaved, and showed up slightly scruffy. Many made comments - one saying he confused me for one of the engineers, while another, with a smirk, thanked me for "dressing up." Amusingly, even in my dressed-down state, there were others in shorts and sandals, or t-shirts in various stages of wear and tear. But because I had broken with what they expected, I was the subject of discussion.

At some level, this is a good thing, as I've forged a personal brand that includes the professional business look. While it was fun to make a one-day break from this, even if just to see the reactions, but I don't anticipate it happening on a more-regular basis in the future. The Tommy Bahama shirts and kakhis quota can be consumed by the rest of more casual corporate America.

Listening to ''Falling'', by Liquid State (Play Count: 13)

Sacramento Kings (Pre)Season Kicks Off

In the category of "I shouldn't really care, but for some reason I do", the Sacramento Kings held their first preseason game this evening, taking on the Dallas Mavericks. In a game that wasn't supposed to mean anything, and apparently didn't feature the full Mavericks staff, the Kings prevailed 111-90, in a game where they weren't truly challenged.

Being in the Bay Area means that I don't have access to the Kings on TV on a regular basis, so any "watching" took place via Yahoo! Sports, and real-time chat on Sactown Royalty, where you can see my quasi-commentary and always uninsightful comments. Hopefully, as the NBA season nears, we'll find some sort of solution to satiate my seeming need to follow every game.

In the game, the Kings led throughout, and outscored the Mavericks every quarter. Five players notched double figures, including one of my favorites, Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim and I both entered Cal Berkeley in the 1995-1996 year, where he gained freshman of the year honors for the Pac-10 conference, and then, vanished, off to the pros, while I was left to toil for UC Berkeley another three years, as he made his millions and I only got a degree.

Shareef's role on the Kings has been questioned of late. While his talent is among the highest on the club, he has been coming off of the bench, and playing more of a backup role. In my fully biased, uneducated opinion, I feel the team would be better off with him in the starting five, and tonight's play showed that. On the flip side, tonight's game didn't count, and they don't count for awhile. Maybe I should keep my focus on baseball until it's "all over" for the A's...

Listening to ''What Was Her Name?'', by Dave Clarke (Play Count: 6)

Molly the Beagle Sleeping on The Job

As noted previously, we've had to move our schedule around a bit to make the mid-week, early evening A's games. On Tuesday, when I arrived back home just before 3 p.m., I rushed in, slammed the door, and expected the beagle to come bounding forward to see what all the noise was about.

But, unlike the watchdog we all would expect to dominate intruders, Molly was sound asleep. I put my stuff away, and she didn't stir. So, here to document her hard work, we present Molly the beagle, sleeping on her job on the watch, guarding the couch and chair.


It's tough work being a lazy, spoiled, dog!

Memo to Yahoo! and Microsoft: You're Not Google

As the reverberations of Google's massive acquisition of YouTube take hold, much of the media's interest has turned to the other big Web giants out there to see their take. It turns out that Yahoo! itself was "this close" to acquiring YouTube, but the company simply moved too slowly, brought down by bureaucracy, while Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, doesn't know if YouTube's hype is sustainable, and the company wasn't part of the chase.

With Google garnering the elephant's share of positive press mentions over the last few years, Yahoo! and Microsoft have turned into also-rans in the search race, and are more frequently looking like technology copycats rather than innovators. While Yahoo! has matched Google pound for pound in acquisitions (such as Flickr), Microsoft has bandied about in 3rd place, or worse, by most rankings, most known for hyped mediocrity on the level of Zune and LiveSpaces, with the company's races to rebrand from MSN to Live being the most recent shakeup - which in the long run probably won't benefit end users - instead being the Web's version of microwaved left-overs.

Yahoo! rose to prominence in the 1990s by developing a unique, familiar, personable directory. Microsoft rose to prominence through developing an operating system that ran on commodity hardware, and strategic partnering. Google rose to prominence through the world's best search engine. Google, though making noise about office productivity, isn't getting in the operating system battle, and hasn't yet opened up a directory service. Yahoo! isn't making desktop applications. So why the need to copy Google over and over and over? Is there just not enough market cap and revenue to go around for three mega-companies? I think each company has their place, and should forge forward to make their services better for customers.

Related Links:

BusinessWeek: The Web According to Ballmer
eWeek: Ballmer: Windows Live is Top Microsoft Priority
New York Times: Yahoo's Growth Being Eroded by New Rivals

From Euphoria to Disillusionment

Thanks to scheduling beyond our control, the last few days have been completely out of the ordinary - consisting of our going into the office at a normal hour, and then bailing in the mid-afternoon, to race north to the Oakland Coliseum, take in the game, and then meander our way back home again.

While we've enjoyed the twice-weekly trip all summer long, this was typically a Friday/Saturday jaunt, and games could regularly be seen at 7 p.m. Friday, with a day game Saturday. Now, in the ALCS, we are slaves to the masters of the MLB universe, Fox and ESPN, who have dictated the games start at 5 (so East Coast viewers can chime in) and on Tuesday and Wednesday, messing up our routine.

I'd be beyond jubilant, and happy to tell you the process were all worth it, had our team, the A's, done their jobs. But after two games at home in the league championship series, we've seen the green and gold on the short end of the stick, losing Tuesday by a score of 5-1, and tonight, by a tally of 8-5. The team has been fighting from behind the entire series, and whatever leads we did have tonight were fleeting at best, as the Tigers put runs on the board and we simply couldn't catch up.

Down by 3 tonight, the A's teased us by loading the bases, and bringing to the plate Frank Thomas, who is always a threat to homer. Had he put the ball in the seats, we would have seen history made - a grand slam to win the game in the most dramatic way. But he didn't make it, and we can't rely on one man's heroics to overcome 8 innings of mediocrity.

There's a million ways we could point fingers, but simply said, if you were to say that Nick Swisher and Thomas (and Scutaro) would be a combined .000 through the first two games, there really wouldn't need to be any more discussion. They look lost out there.

Milton Bradley (with two home runs) and Kotsay (two doubles) were a lot of fun to watch, and I love seeing the rare Chavez homer. He's come through twice in the last three playoff games, even if he is swinging and missing way too much. In fact, the whole team just K'd and K'd and K'd today. Yuck.

Now the series goes back to Detroit, and the A's find themselves in a deep hole they might not ever get out of. Tonight just could have been the last time we see them all year, and though I will always hold out hope until the last batter is out in the last inning of the last game, we are unhappy season ticket holders tonight. From Friday's jubilation to today's frustrations, we've run the entire gamut. That's the rough life of being a serious sports fan who expects the world.

Listening to ''neo & farina'', by Blutonium Boy Vs DJ Session One (Play Count: 5)

The Newfound Stardom of Marco Scutaro

Every baseball season starts out with 30 major league teams, which after a full 162-game campaign, are quickly whittled down from eight, to four and finally two, who meet in the World Series to determine the year's champions. Tomorrow, as one of the last four teams alive in the chase, the A's are set to take on the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series (ALCS), in large part due to the heroics of a small-stature one-time backup infielder Marco Scutaro. After connecting for run-scoring doubles in all three games against the Minnesota Twins, Marco came up huge with a bases-clearing double that gave the A's an 8-2 margin in the final contest, amid deafening chants of "Marco! Scutaro!" from the feverishly-adoring crowd.

Though loved by many hard-core A's fans well before the series, Marco's MVP-like show has the baseball world buzzing, and the Internet awash in those searching for all they can about this unknown Venezuelan. How do I know? It just so happens that louisgray.com has seen quite a bit of activity looking for Marco. In March of this year, in a pre-season edition of the ANtics, I profiled Marco in "Scutaro Skills!". This comic has risen in the ranks of Google images, sticking out like a sore thumb from the rest of the standard game photography. Of these visitors to the site, a great number are from Marco's homeland in Venezuela.

So, if you've come to louisgray.com looking for more about the little man who has come up big, you can find your Marco fix here:

ANtics Episode 2.5: "Scutaro Skills"
http://www.louisgray.com/graphics/antics_18.jpg

Marco In a Less-Dignified Pose
http://louisgray.com/graphics/scutaro_crotch.jpg

Athletics Nation: "Venezuelan Man Candy"

Listening to ''Love Is Blind'', by 4 Strings (Play Count: 11)

Google Buys YouTube for $1.65 Billion

Every once in a while, one of those wacky acquisition rumors just happens to be true. In a flashback to the 1999 .com heyday, search giant Google purchased online video outlet YouTube in a deal worth more than $1.6 billion in an all-stock transaction. As with those 1999-era deals, in contrast to most M&A activity, Google's stock rose sharply after-hours. Also similar to that rosy era, Google chose not to disclose how they arrived at such a lofty valuation for the company, whose revenue and profits are so far a mystery.

I wrote earlier that Google would potentially hesitate at the deal due to the tremendous amount of copyrighted material hosted by YouTube. Though the site is the leading platform for amateur video, it also hosts a ridiculous number of materials owned by major media outlets, who have made noise about enforcing their copyrights. Now that Google has acquired YouTube, they've gained more than a superstar Web 2.0 company, they've also acquired the potential for a string of lawsuits unlike anything seen outside of the  litigation-happy pharmaceutical industry.

Clearly, my concerns weren't shared by all in Mountain View. VentureBeat contributor Steve Poland said that while the prospects for litigation were high, that Google "has significant interest in this battle, as it will set a legal precedent and have significant effects on their future plans …" The company already has raised the ire of copyright holders for its far-reaching book archiving and search projects, and Google has said it wants to organize all of the world's information, regardless of its source, and that video is part of that information repository.

On Google's analyst call following the acquisition this afternoon, CEO Eric Schmidt said YouTube's ad network is remarkably similar to that of Google, and that it doesn't threaten the future of Google Video, which has gotten off to a very slow start.

The deal isn't without its detractors. Dallas Mavericks owner and part-time billionaire blogger Mark Cuban sticks to his guns saying that "Google is crazy". Of course, it could be just as easily argued that Yahoo! was crazy when they purchased his Broadcast.com, making him scads of cash. Maybe it's the fact the deal's hit so close to home that has him in a snit.

Google has made several under the radar acquisitions of small companies. Some, like Keyhole, have turned into applications, like Google Earth. Still others have been grabs for intellectual programmers with interesting ideas. As John Battelle writes, this will be Google's first big brand acquisition, and the first challenge to the Google brand, as the two companies try to remain separate but synergistic.

I'm somewhat on the sidelines for this deal. I have never posted a video to YouTube, and don't even own a video camera. However, I really like the ease of use the site offers, especially for framing videos to other blogs. The real-time comment system and related videos are similarly top-notch. I don't know that this is the type of deal that will make Google an even bigger force to be reckoned with, but at the very least it puts them light years ahead of Yahoo! and Microsoft in this battle that is surely just heating up.

Listening to ''Moonface - Futurised Fears'', by Bedrock (Play Count: 7)

Blog Issues Disruptive to Sleep Patterns

In a single-person survey conducted in the Louis Gray household this evening, it was determined that ongoing issues with the blog's look and feel have directly impacted sleep patterns to the point of ridiculousness. Apparently, after an "all clear" note sent yesterday that highlighted the potential to ongoing changes, issues with the blog became only worse, and continued efforts to post new stories, or make changes, consumed efforts until after 3 in the morning, Pacific Time, before the site's administrator relented.

After coming home yesterday evening from the Cal and Oregon football game, which has pushed the team into Top Ten status in the college polls, I attempted to post my quick game recap, but for some reason, the new blog site theme opted to try and publish the nearly 500 posts to date, rather than just add the one. Multiple times, this failed part-way through, and it was impossible to publish at all. After this nonsense, I changed themes a few more times, and tweaked settings, all in vain.

With the beagle as my only companion, the wife long since asleep, we tried to make louisgray.com functional, and gave up in frustration before 4 a.m. came, in some attempt to rest before Sunday began in earnest. Yet, the post which should have made it to the Web at 12:45 last night didn't go live until almost noon today, when a "perfect storm" of settings, preferences and themes were found to meet the minimum standard needed. So, here we are. The site once again looks interesting, but once again, lacks the subpage content I had been so excited about the last time you were updated.

Be assured that we will keep fighting - sleep be damned.

Listening to ''Enemy'', by Gabriel & Dresden (Play Count: 12)

Cal Bears Roast Ducks 45-24

It would be hard to top the two sports-filled days we enjoyed Friday and Saturday. After seeing the A's sweep the Twins and clinch an ALCS berth Friday, we turned right around and headed up the 880 freeway to see the #16 ranked California Golden Bears take on the #11 ranked Oregon Ducks in a game that had both conference and national rankings implications. When the contest had concluded, and the sellout crowd of nearly 73,000 had made their way out of Memorial Stadium, the Bears emerged victorious by a lopsided score of 45-24, keeping the team unbeaten in conference play, and serving notice that their week one failures at Tennessee were a fluke.

Cal scored early and often against the Ducks, seemingly from the very first snap. The first series Oregon ran on offense turned into an interception for the Bears, who scored a touchdown shortly afterwards. Similarly, the first possession in the second quarter saw an errant pass from the Ducks land in the Bears' hands. On another chance, the Bears returned a punt from well beyond mid-field for a score, as the team rallied ahead their higher-ranked opponents by the tune of 28-3.

Oregon's offense simply could not get on track. Their only touchdown before halftime, making it 28-10, came on a faked field goal try that landed them near the end zone. In the second half, it was more of the same, as Cal added on, scoring 10 in the third quarter, and breaking up the Ducks' rhythm throughout. The only concerns on the game were the occasional sloppy penalty picked up by an overexcited Cal Bear, and the injury suffered by Heisman hopeful Marshawn Lynch, who exited the game for good in the second quarter following an injury. Yet, even in his absence, Cal kept the pressure on, as backup rusher Justin Forsett tallied on more than 100 yards in relief.

With the victory, the Bears are certain to advance in the national polls. How high depends on how many other Top 25 schools went down to defeat, and how the myriad of writers and coaches around the country interpreted the win. After coming into the season with very lofty expectations, only to have them dashed at the hands of the Volunteers, the Bears have an uphill climb to change the hearts and minds of the people. Luckily for them, my wife and I are already converted. 

Listening to ''Marrakech (A and T Remix)'', by ATB (Play Count: 17)

louisgray.com: Site Redesign Details

If you've visited this site more than once, you may have noticed a somewhat radical change overnight. The site's dominant color has morphed from a dark purple to a light blue, the sidebar has switched sides, from right to left, and a number of under the hood changes have taken place.

So why the change?

Given the Web site has my name in the URL, I am going to constantly tinker until I find the ideal way to deliver content. Though happy with the ability to post new items quickly with RapidWeaver, I have been disappointed with some elements of the program - most notably how the theme I was using handled subpages or permalinks.

Ideally, when visitors come to read a specific post or page, they should see that the page is part of a bigger structure, and not orphaned. It should retain elements of the site, such as the title, directory or sidebar. The old theme didn't do this, so I had a lot of visitors to permalinks who had nowhere to go, and left. Now, with this newer theme, the permalinks retain linkage to their category, and the all-important sidebar and navigation. It's much, much better.

For example: A permalink page before the change | How that page looks now with the new theme

Does this mean the end of change? Of course not. I'm not sure that the light blue is ideal, or that the fonts are perfect, etc. But now, I have a better platform to start from to make continued changes. Stick around - we just might get it right after a while.

Listening to ''I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and this is my Horse'', by Underworld (Play Count: 3)

Google Says: Features, Not Products

Over the last year, it has been well-chronicled that Google has spawned a wide variety of new products, many emerging from their engineers' 20% flex time to work on projects outside of their core focus. But as the new products have gained press attention and passing interest from users, they haven't vaulted to take the #1 spot in market share, as their search platform has. Instead, they've contributed to added confusion over what initially was a very simple company that took a lot of credit for its spartan design and laser-like focus.

Now, it looks like the rumblings of discontent are being heard in the glass house that is Google. The LA Times reports that Co-founder Sergey Brin is promoting an initiative called "Features, not products", where engineers are encouraged to make products that are already released best of breed, rather than introducing an increasing amount of diversity that has already seen the development of more than 50 Google-branded offerings.

For some, this is seen as a sign of maturity, that the company is moving beyond it's dramatic startup phase, and more to being a full-fledged industry leader. But on the flip side, it's not as if Microsoft has reduced its product array and focused on features, and Apple, while initially focusing on a famous quadrant of four hardware products for professional and consumer, laptop and desktop, now has expanded into the consumer gadgets arena. This indicates that established companies do see product creep, but the baseline must first be set, and at least for Google, that time to do so is now.

In other Google news, the biggest rumor of the day is that Google is in talks to purchase online video giant YouTube for the staggering price of $1.6 billion. That unlikely consolidation would be a market shaker, but I don't know that Google wants to acquire a headache - one that would be guaranteed once slighted copyright owners determine they want a piece of Google's massive cash pile. YouTube is a great resource for copyrighted material, and has become the Napster of video. Right now, they don't have enough cash to shake down. Google would change all that.

Listening to ''True (Vocal)'', by John Digweed (Play Count: 5)

A's Deliver a Day Of Celebration

For the first time since 1992, the A's are on their way to the American League Championship Series (ALCS), following the club's 8-3 victory and series sweep of the favored Minnesota Twins. In front of a sellout crowd nearing 36,000, including my wife and me, the A's pushed out to an early 4-0 lead, and padded on when the Twins tried to answer back. When Huston Street got the Twins to pop out meekly to left field to end the game, the team's players rushed the mound for a frenzied celebration that continued into the clubhouse, their second such celebration in a few weeks, with hopes that two more may be coming soon - through the World Series.

3rd basman Eric Chavez' homer really set the tone of the day. He didn't just hit it hard, he CRUSHED it, putting the A's on the board first. Following an RBI by pesky shortstop Marco Scutaro to make it 2-0, right fielder Milton Bradley CRUSHED a two-run homer to center making it 4-0. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Dan Haren battled through, keeping the lead and stranding guys right and left, leaving after six innings.

And Marco Scutaro wasn't nearly done. Even after seeing him make clutch hit after hit during the season's stretch, his heroics never get tired. With the bases loaded, and the score 5-2, he clubbed a double as the sellout crowd chanted his name. You KNEW he was going to do it, and then he did it. From our seats, we made sure section 114 chanted Marco (boom boom) Scutaro (Boom Boom Boom) until we were all hoarse. Every single A's player running back on the field during the inning change had to pay homage to his hitting prowess, including his new double play partner, D'Angelo Jimenez.

I loved the energy. I loved seeing the celebration in Oakland, the first time I've ever seen a clinching game. I loved our being given towels to wave during the game and seeing a handful of friends from Athletics Nation. I love the fact that Thomas didn't have to hit a home run for us to win. I love the fact we're in the ALCS and can rest up while the Tigers smack around the Yankees. They can go the full five and go extra innings in every game until they should both quit.

THIS TEAM IS GOING PLACES. We are IN IT TO WIN IT and WIN IT we are doing. Go A's!

Game Recaps: Athletics Nation and Yahoo! Sports

A's Aim to Clinch ALCS With Victory Today

Today, my wife and I are not going to work. We stayed home. The reason? Our Oakland Athletics are taking on the Minnesota Twins in game 3 of the American League Division Series at McAfee Coliseum, at 1:05, with the opportunity, if they win, to move on to the American League Championship Series, where the club has not been since 1992, having lost a record 9 straight potential clinchers.

As we've already seen, this year's A's squad is different than those who struggled to finish off Minnesota, Boston and New York in previous years. Frank Thomas, Barry Zito and Mark Kotsay came up big at the Metrodome and have powered the A's to a 2-0 series lead. Today, with Dan Haren taking the mound against veteran Brad Radke, we will be in our usual seats, cheering for the green and gold, camera poised for potential celebratory bedlam.

Going to the game? Find us at section 114, row 28, seats 5 and 6. Go A's!

Book Review: Naked Conversations

Naked Conversations aims to demonstrate how businesses can change their communication model with customers by way of blogging. The book, a must-read for anybody interested in corporate communications or public relations, deftly illustrates best and worst practices in blogging - showing that if businesses can, with clarity, speak directly to their customers and partners without being blurred by "handlers" and marketing, they will be best suited for the often-skeptical audiences of today.

The book's authors, Robert Scoble & Shel Israel, set out in writing the book from the perspective that blogging is a must-have weapon in today's integrated marketing arsenal, and found only a small handful of cases where they discovered corporations were better off by being tight-lipped. The vast majority of case studies displayed that consistent, thoughtful, topical blogging can enable trust and rapid response to both positive and negative news. The book also showed that you don't need a C-title (CEO, CTO, etc.) to blog for the company. All you need is desire, the willingness to publish often, and to be interesting.

Some companies, including Microsoft and Sun (especially so) have embraced blogging. They recognize that employees are often as passionate about their products as one would wish, but that they are first truthful - that they can speak to issues and efforts to resolve bugs. Disagreement and debate is encouraged, though some, unaccustomed to "naked conversations" have put up roadblocks to open discourse. Other companies, like Apple and Google, most prominently, actively dissuade employees from blogging or in any way representing the company, as the corporate communications are channeled through a select few.

If corporate blogs are to survive and thrive, they need to exist outside of the corporate spin zone. Though they can greatly augment the company's public relations and marketing efforts, the discussion should flow freely and honestly, and not sound canned, for if it does sound contrived, the blogger and company will immediately lose credibility with a fickle blogosphere, who has established higher expectations.

Naked Conversations clearly makes a case that today's businesses need to rapidly adapt to a world where blogs have tremendous influence. Positive or negative mentions in the blogosphere can have reach far beyond traditional print media, and to be silent  may as well place you with the dinosaurs. A press release can only go so far. As Naked Conversations preaches, it's time for corporations to open up, or the blogosphere will speak for them.

Listening to ''I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and this is my Horse'', by Underworld (Play Count: 2)

Looking Beyond Google

In the Web space, the big gorilla may seem insurmountable, but in stark contrast to the brick and mortar world, the supposed category leaders change relatively quickly, meaning companies need to continue their history of innovation to maintain and grow market share.

Even in the micromarket of Web search engines, you can see the progression. It could be argued that Webcrawler was the first big search engine. Entering search terms on Webcrawler in its infancy returned blue hyperlinks on a gray background, without ads, without search summaries or any other detail. In time, challengers emerged. Yahoo! opted to go the route of a mega-directory, ignoring search (at first), while enterprising scientists developed engines like Inktomi, HotBot and AltaVista, each one-upping the other in terms of search engine index span and accuracy. Meanwhile, other engines like Lycos and Excite gained a great deal of traffic, but weren't well known for their technology leadership. Yahoo!, then partners with Inktomi, before acquiring the company, became the far and away leader in the space.

But as we all know, it didn't last. Google, with its spartan interface, its targeted results, and PhD driven algorithms, soon took the title away from Yahoo!, becoming the default for most browsers, and soon aggregating more than 50 percent of the market. Now, you don't search for results, you "Google" them. Now, we see that everybody is competing with Google. Not just Yahoo!, but Microsoft, AOL, etc. And again, Google's lead seems insurmountable. They have tons of cash. They have a rapidly-growing brain trust of employees. They are a Wall Street darling. But, it's hard to be simple forever, and the company has been said to having taken their eye of the ball, on their core business, search, to pursue tangential distractions, including Google Earth, Google Gadgets, and other desktop tools.

Even Google seems to recognize that changes have to be made. In the last few weeks, the company quietly debuted a brand-new search engine as an experimental "sandbox" for new features, called SearchMash. SearchMash does away with contextual advertising, does away with offers to search Google News, or Froogle!, but simply displays Web page results and related images. The site again goes back to a Google-like spartan image, but lacks the Google branding and colors. One wonders why Google couldn't have used "yet another Beta" to play in this arena, or to tuck it away in one of their labs.

Outside of Google's labs and candy-colored Mountain View offices, a wide array of smaller companies are looking to outrun Google and catch the giant while it may be napping. BusinessWeek covers these challengers in a piece called "A Gaggle of Google Wannabes". While Google claims to have more people focused on core search than ever before, market share isn't handed out lightly, and a fickle customer base isn't that reluctant to try new options if the smaller, more nimble, competitors can change the game. 

This move is especially already clear when it comes to blogs. Google's Blog Search engine is woefully poor at filtering away spam blogs (splogs), and in this vacuum, engines like Technorati and Topix have taken the lead. Shopzilla and others have beaten Google at product searches. In the niches of this market, Google is not winning, and it will be a challenge to see how the company can reach these niches without getting ever more complex.

Underworld Web Releases Avoid iTunes

The British techno duo Underworld has always danced to their own beat. One of my favorite bands for a decade now, the group has performed in the best pair of concerts I've ever seen in my life, released the concert DVD that pushed me to by my first DVD player (which I still have), and continues to push the cutting edge on musical style and distribution.

The group, now a duo after losing famed DJ Darren Emerson, has often leaned toward longer tracks - in the 10-plus minute variety, rather than easy-bake radio hits that venture from three to five minutes, as the vast majority of pop artists do. But even these lengths seemed unwieldy to the oddly creative group, who has now found a home, at underworldlive.com, to issue exclusive tracks, which can range anywhere from 20 minutes to more than half an hour. The tracks, not bound by any Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, as Apple's iTunes and other offerings do, cost 5 British pounds apiece, are only available to registered users of their site, and download, encoded in Zip format, to a full track, as well as thirty-plus pages of the band's artwork.

I told you they were creative...

In 2005, the band first took the leap to direct from the Web sales, with its RiverRun project, issuing the singles "Pizza for Eggs" and "Lovely Broken Thing". Earlier this year, they continued, with "I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess and this is my Horse." (Don't ask) For customers like myself, who purchased all three, fans get a bonus download of "The Misterons Mix", only available to those who invested in triplicate.

Though best known for their Trainspotting-fueled classic "Born Slippy", Underworld has pioneered some of the most pure, electric sounds in the genre. It should be interesting to see how lucrative they find this eclectic move, with a bare minimum of publicity. It is especially interesting to see their avoidance of forced music lockdowns. On their site, they write, "We are not using any copy protection or drm as we prefer to start from the point of trusting our customers. If the system is abused, we will have to review how we provide content."

This is yet another amazing testimony to the Web - giving artists direct access to the fans, avoiding the middleman. The next time Underworld comes to your town, go see them. Until then, make sure you visit underworldlive.com. You might like what you find.

Listening to ''Pizza For Eggs'', by Underworld (Play Count: 6)

Morning Notes: October 4, 2006

More in an irregularly occurring series...

It's been an extremely busy start to the week, so I apologize for the light posting thus far. We've had a surprising confluence of events taking time away from the blog.

With that said, it's always a good idea to start with the top of the alphabet, with the A's. In the team's first playoff game against the Minnesota Twins, Frank Thomas hit two home runs and Barry Zito pitched masterfully in a 3-2 victory at the Metrodome yesterday, giving the team a 1-0 lead in the series, which continues today. The Twins were said to have needed a win in yesterday's game to win the series, and they didn't get there. Now the A's have picked up home field advantage. Of course, Athletics Nation was completely nutty for the day game, with nearly a thread an inning, and 3,000 comments. We were in meetings all morning and didn't see a single inning live, thanks to the ridiculous schedule.

Interestingly, the world of blogging has added a new wrinkle, as Zito himself has a blog he's keeping up in the post-season. After yesterday's victory, he sat down and wrote how he was feeling - both in preparation for the game, and as it progressed. Unlike many in sports, Zito has always come across as more on the analytical side, as you can see. (An Awesome Day In Minnesota)

Working down the alphabet, to Apple (and Microsoft), after the dust has settled, critics and potential customers alike are finding themselves wholly underwhelmed with Microsoft's release of Zune, their iPod-copycat music player. Wired writes that "Zune Won't Kill the IPod", while in an amusing slant, Roughly Drafted illustrates 10 reasons that Zune isn't the iPod challenger some would have you think it was. One reason? It's just not cool. I mean, brown? We don't have to work for UPS, so why would brown all of a sudden be hip? It's like HP and Dell trying to convince us beige is in this year.

I have to admit I've tried to stay above the fray and ignore much of the scandals in Washington of late. It seems if you give the GOP enough rope, they'll hang themselves, and they are well on their way. With Mark Foley's indiscretions being well-discussed, Electoral-Vote.com says that the Senate races show a near dead-heat for both parties, and a virtual tie in the House as well. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that in a jaw-dropping move, the Republican-led budget tucked away $20 million for a big celebration of our successes in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, to be held in Washington DC. Mission accomplished, anyone?

New Sactown Royalty Profile: Spud Webb

Cross-posted at Sactown Royalty...

Continuing the site's run of profiling the greatest Sacramento Kings in franchise history, Spud Webb holds down the #11 spot, coming up big, despite the fact that at 5' 7", he ranks among the shortest NBA players of all time.

On a personal note, my most fond memory was of Spud Webb leading the Kings to an improbable victory against the much-hated Phoenix Suns and Charles Barkley on April 8, 1994 - which just so happened to be my 17th birthday. Sitting in the top row in the nosebleed section of Arco, at my first Kings game ever, the fans noisily made thunder rain down on the Suns, as Webb scored 18, dished out 13 assists, and the Kings won 104-101. (Boxscore Here) It was an experience I'll never forget, and one where Spud Webb, made a big impression on us all.

More at Sactown Royalty: The Sactown Greatest, #11: Spud Webb

Listening to ''Breathe'', by Telepopmusik (Play Count: 2)

West Coast Fans Snubbed by MLB, TV

As you know, the A's are going to the playoffs again, after a two-year absence. For some who don't live in the San Francisco Bay Area or follow the team as I do, the club's being in the playoffs, and supposedly, on national television, will be the first exposure they've had to the A's, who often finds themselves on the short end of the media attention stick, in favor of Eastern clubs, primarily the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. But now, as the playoff picture has solidified with the conclusion of baseball's regular season, it's clear that the corporate bigwigs pulling the strings have opted to keep A's fans in the dark, in a never-ending quest for higher media dollars and ratings.

As a result of the Detroit Tigers' failing to win a single game against the AL Central doormat Kansas City Royals, the A's are set to take on the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome starting Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by a home game here in Oakland on Friday. According to the postseason schedule, the two games in Minnesota are planned for the ungodly hour of 10 a.m. here on the West Coast, noon in Minneapolis, and 1 p.m. for those on the East Coast. The primetime schedule is instead dominated, not surprisingly, by games involving the New York Yankees or the New York Mets. In fact, even a hierarchy shows there, as on the days where both Subway teams have games on tap, the Mets draw the weaker of the television schedules, ceding primetime to their cross-town brethren in the Bronx and playing first, against the LA Dodgers.

MLB: 2006 Divison Series Playoff Schedule

For those of us who hold down 9 to 5 jobs and have been following our team for the full year, this schedule is an abomination. Barring staying home to watch the game, we will be barred from seeing them in action completely on Tuesday and Wednesday, and even Friday's game, at 1 locally, forces hard-working employees to take the day off. Instead of enjoying friends and family around the TV set, rooting on our team, we will be stuck at the desk in our cubicles, sneaking glances at the Yahoo! or ESPN scoreboard, or impossibly trying to avoid knowing the outcome until we find the games at home on our TiVo, but that won't work.

There's long been call for MLB, ESPN, Fox and the like to look into their East Coast biases, and their sucking up to big money teams like the Yankees, and each time, we seem to be shot down as conspiratorial loonies. This postseason's schedule is sad, frustrating, and ridiculous all in one, and should not be allowed.

Listening to ''Trishika'', by Telepopmusik (Play Count: 1)

Routine Maintenance Never Fits My Schedule

You know how it seems that regardless of the situation, or the market or the product, there is always a car analogy waiting in the wings to annoy you? Why is it that every example is expected to be made more easy to understand because you can relate it to a brand of car, how well they are kept up, or horsepower and engines? It seems like the English language ran out of nouns and adjectives to adequately describe most incidents, but we've all managed to imbibe Kelly's Blue Book and your automobile owner's manual.

Recently, I mentioned how my lack of routine maintenance on my teeth turned into a litany of dental visits, to the tune of four in four days (some kind of record, to be sure). While at the dentist, I was given the standard lectures on how to take better care of myself, and the old, reliable analogies were thrown out there. "You know, fillings/gums/etc. are like your car. If you don't rotate the tires/change the oil/etc. every few thousand miles, you will have problems."

Well, thank you very much, Dr. Einstein, D.D.S. But you don't realize who you're talking to.

Instead of a maniacal auto-obsessed gearhead who changes the oil in his driveway and can analyze every ping with a simple pop of the hood, you're talking to somebody who very recently managed not to get the oil changed in his 1998 Mercury Tracer for more than 6,700 miles, more than double what is advised. In fact, as I had the oil changed on New Year's Eve in 2005, I went a full nine months between Jiffy Lube visits, before somewhat reluctantly taking care of it yesterday.

So, when somebody says I should have the same level of "routine maintenance" for me or anything else, they're in trouble. I'm sure part of the issue resides with my ego telling me the rules don't apply.

Want me to pay that bill within 30 days? Why? Because it's convenient for you? Well, send me another notice, and I'll think about it. Want me to see the dentist every six months? Why, because some bureaucrat decided that was the new rule? Want me to update my driver's license to show where I really live instead of somewhere I used to? What's the point? Heck, even my bank checks still say I live in Belmont, and I haven't been there since 2002. What do I care - the money still comes out of the account...

So long as the lights stay on, the water keeps running, and my belongings don't get repossessed, it really doesn't bug me if you get paid within 10 days or 90 days. I have a primary care physician, but I bet you he doesn't know me, and I certainly haven't seen him this year. And if my car starts to slow down for whatever reason, I'll keep driving it until it simply stops. Then I'll get a new one. But don't tell me I should have rotated the tires and gotten the air pressure to 32 pounds per square inch. Those rules are for other people.

Listening to ''Better Off Alone'', by Alice Deejay (Play Count: 5)

ANtics Episode 2.31: A's Are AL West Champs

The 2006 regular season complete, the A's bags are packed, ready to do battle with the Minnesota Twins. Though the A's had a torrid second half, there were times in September when it seemed the team was ready to let it all slip away. The ANtics look back...


Click to See Larger Comic

Also: Take the Poll: When 2006 is complete, what will you most remember?

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