Flickr Printing

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I think Flickr slipped this in the last couple of weeks... but you can now select Print from a photo and pick it up at your local Target for 20 cents for a 4x6. That's pretty convenient for me. I was wondering a couple of weeks ago why Flickr didn't have the Target option while their owner Yahoo! Photos did... I guess they wondered the same thing and implemented it. Suh-weet!

Update: I just went to pick up my photos and they told me the first 10 you print are free! You don't even have to print all 10 at once. You can do 5 one time, and 5 another. Woot!

Play This!

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Must hear: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1491516901670441597 {thx Ivan}

Inside Xbox Headquarters

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Engadget was invited to take a tour of the Xbox headquarters in Seattle. It's pretty cool to see what it looks like inside... pretty much like your office, but with a lot more Xboxes.

Click here to see

Typo stock trade costs $225 million

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And I thought I made some mistakes in stock trading. A tard in Japan mistyped a trade and it ended up costing the firm 225 million buckeroos (27 billion yen).
The trouble began Thursday morning, when Mizuho Securities tried to sell 610,000 shares at 1 yen (less than a penny) apiece of a job recruiting firm called J-Com Co., which was having its public debut on the exchange.

It had actually intended to sell 1 share at 610,000 yen ($5,041).

Worse still, the number of shares in Mizuho’s order was 41 times the number of J-Com’s outstanding shares, but the Tokyo Stock Exchange processed the order anyway.

Read the whole story here

Hardware Pr0n

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Hot chicks with hardware. Doesn't really get better than that. It's kinda NSFW, just cause there are lots of scantily clad chicks. No nudity though.

Damon Jones: Air Li-Ning

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I saw on NBA.com that 3-point specialist Damon Jones of the Cleveland Cavaliers may be endorsing the Li-Ning athletic shoes. The casual fan wouldn't know who Damon Jones is, but I guess he thinks he could play more like Yao if he wore Li-Nings.
"They're an awesome company, and they've been great so far," Jones said. "It was a situation where I didn't have a shoe contract coming into the year, and I was searching around, and I felt that being different, as I am, I thought it would be a good move to market myself in a different light. They felt with my personality and my glamorous looks that I could bring a little pop to the brand," said Jones, who expects his own signature shoe by next season.

Xbox 360 Games Extracted

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Saw this over on digg. A group has already extracted the games and are welcoming people to take a look at the file system:
we even decided to release the source code, so that you can figure out the filesystem and make even nicer tools and clean up our horrible looking code, cause we are lazy and old!

Click here to view the website
No, they haven't yet figured out how to play backups on your Xbox 360. But it's a start.

Windows Live Local - A Bird's Eye View

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Using the Windows Live Local beta, you can see a bird's eye view of an area. You can see my house above, except for the fact that it wasn't built at the time the picture was taken, which must have been prior to 2001. A little outdated, to say the least. This is a lot like Google Earth, but you can do searches right on the website.

Got a Question? Yahoo! Answers!

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If you have a burning question that nobody can answer, try asking someone in the Yahoo community. Maybe they have an answer for you.

Yahoo! Answers is a place where people ask each other questions on any topic, and get answers by sharing facts, opinions, and personal experiences.

For example, one user asked, "How much wood could a wood chuck chuck?" To which one replied, "First, the woodchuck would need opposable thumbs to "chuck" or throw the wood. Woodchucks don't have thumbs, and are restricted to pushing the wood or gnawing on it, along with looking hopefully at people. So the answer is none."

Click here to go to Yahoo! Answers

Verizon RAZR V3c Available 12/7

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If you've been a Verizon Wireless user for a while, you'd appreciate that finally, an aesthetically pleasing phone is being released for VZW users. No longer do you have to be the laughing stock of your friends when you get a call from your girlfriend and you bring out your bulky non-bluetooth Verizon phone. Sure, the Motorola RAZR has been around for what seems like ages, but hey, it's still hot.

Official Verizon V3c Release Info on HowardForums

Video: SupamonkS

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This is one bad ass animation of a monk, er, defending himself. {from supermoine.com; found on Hedonistica}

Link to the mov.

Skype 2.0: Now with Cyber, er, Video

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It's still in beta, but if you want to skype your "long distance girlfriend" nude, you better go downloaad it.

Gmail Kills Viruses

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From their Help Center:
Each time you send and receive attachments, Gmail automatically scans them for viruses.

If a virus is found in an attachment you've received, our system will attempt to remove it, or clean the file, so you can still access the information it contains. If the virus can't be removed from the file, you won't be able to download it.

If a virus is found in an attachment you're trying to send, you won't be able to send the message until you remove the attachment.

Firefox 1.5

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Head on over to Mozilla to download it.

Windows Live

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I haven't even heard of this until today... go try the Windows Live portal for yourself.
Then check out their ideas.
Your online world gets better when everything works simply and effortlessly together. That's the basic idea behind Windows Live. So the things you care about - your friends, the latest information, your e-mails, powerful search, your PC files, everything – comes together in one place. This is a brand new Internet experience designed to put you in control. And this is just the beginning – you'll see many more new services in the coming months.

Can You Digg It?

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Since this is the buzz word today, here ya go. Digg. I see it as a medium between Slashdot and Google News, but this is how they describe themselves:
Digg is a technology news website that employs non-hierarchical editorial control. With digg, users submit stories for review, but rather than allowing an editor to decide which stories go on the homepage, the users do.

Xbox 360 + 24" Dell Widescreen LCD

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I want to say something, but I... I can't.

More pics here.

Engadget got theirs, and Anandtech gutted it for your viewing pleasure.

Here is the Fatwallet lowdown on securing an Xbox 360 for yourself. Hint: Sounds quite difficult.
Update: You can always have this guy camp out for you.

$100 Laptop

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Leave it to MIT to come up with a genius idea like the $100 laptop to "educate the world's children".
Why do children in developing nations need laptops?
Laptops are both a window and a tool: a window into the world and a tool with which to think. They are a wonderful way for all children to "learn learning" through independent interaction and exploration.

GoogleBase

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Another new feature from Google, the GoogleBase.
Google Base is a place where you can add all types of information that we'll host and make searchable online.

Wired looks at it as something that will compete with Craigslist and eBay, and methinks they're onto something.
An ambitious new Google service lets anyone upload most anything to a publicly searchable database, potentially laying the groundwork for a foray by the internet juggernaut into classified advertising.

Seeing is Believing

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Try this test: http://www.patmedia.net/marklevinson/cool/cool_illusion.html

Moral of the story? Don't always believe your eyes.

Yahoo! Maps Beta

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http://maps.yahoo.com/beta/

Reason? Live Traffic.. supposedly.

Don't Date Him, Girl

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This website looks pretty new, but if you want to warn others about a bastard ex of yours, or one who cheated on your friend, dontdatehimgirl.com appears to be the place to do it. Obviously, I'm only posting this because I don't see myself on there... yet.
This guy is Tom. We've been together for almost 8 years. I found his profile, using this photo that I took of him on our vacation 6 weeks ago, on a swingers website. He's also known to visit other assorted, less-than-desirable, dating websites. He markets himself as a warm and good person. BEWARE!
{thx iBonka}

i-Dog

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Sure, the video iPod was announced today, but it's nothing without its best friend, the i-Dog.
Now plug your MP3 player into I-DOG and hear your tunes through I-DOG's speaker! Toggle I-DOG's tail to turn off the speaker and listen to music via headphones.

I-DOG "feeds" on YOUR music. Your music helps form its personality by the type of music it hears, and its mood changes depending on how much music you share with I-DOG.
You can get your very own i-Dog for $29.99 here. {thx Kenny}

Update: Particle found it for $24.99 at Target.

Are You Feeling Lucky?

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If the answer is yes, then you'll probably want to adorn your car with this Google License Plate Frame that makes a statement, Google style. I haven't checked out their store in forever, but they have lots of other little cute toys with the Google logo.

{thx Kenny}

WSOP Main Event

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You know what tonight is? If you guessed Gilmore Girls, stop reading immediately. Just kidding, I love that show. But if you are into poker, ESPN begins airing the Main Event of the World Series of Poker at 5pm and 6pm, where the winner gets like tens of millions of dollars 7.5 million dollars. That's a lot, even for me. Unfortunately for me, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Chicago White Sox game is on at the same time on the west coast. Doh!

Guinness Commercial

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This commercial {Hedonistica -> framestore-cfc, quicktime} shows a badass reverse chronological trip from now back to the beginnings of earth. If you like visual badassness, do check it out.

Office Humor

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The Office Clown has posted a new prank that should take less than 5 minutes to setup. I am one of those people that gets bored at work. If you are too, then check it out.

Office Humor

Home Poker League Stats

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I play poker. A lot. With my friends. We have our own "league". I found this site to keep track of it. It's free and easy to use. It comes with a complete league management system, and if your friends don't want to sign up, you can just give them the public view so they can still see your league stats.

Check it out here.

He also has some funny t-shirts... my favorite being this one that says, "online poker is for ugly people". So true, so true..

Google More Personalized

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As reported back in the day, the customizable Google portal page has finally upgraded their options, now including the ability to have additional RSS feeds, in addition to a bookmarking system. Although a great improvement, it still pales in comparison to My Yahoo!, which lets you create multiple pages so as to not clutter a single page, and categories for your bookmarks to be better orgainized. That being said, there is no harm in trying it out and giggling over it. What are you waiting for? GO!

The Konfabulator

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This is like, the coolest thing ever for a geek. The Konfabulator is now free because Yahoo! acquired them and made it so. Basically, this program lets you use lots of mini programs for your desktop that range from current weather and traffic to controlling your iTunes to viewing stock prices, all in hot graphics. Go try it now!

Nikon D50 Digital SLR

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The main rival of the Canon Rebel Xt, the Nikon D50, is in stock for as low as $845 shipped on eBay and under $900 in online stores. Someone on Flickr already took photos with his D50, and Digital Camera Resource Page has some photos as well.

Digital Photography Review has a thorough preview while LetsGoDigital has a review of it.

I am still undecided as to which digital SLR I will get, but I'm leaning towards the D50.

Funny Japanese Commercial

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This commercial has a town of hot Japanese chicks.

ObjectDock by StarDock

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ObjectDock {LifeHacker} This program makes your taskbar look like a MAC taskbar, you know, like way better. I like it.

Forget Me Not Panties

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Track the females in your life with these forget-me-not panties.
These "panties" can trace the exact location of your woman and send the information, via satellite, to your cell phone, PDA, and PC simultaneously! Use our patented mapping system, pantyMap®, to find the exact location of your loved one 24 hours a day.

Blogging Leads to Arrest

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Here's a chilling story:

First, read the latest entry on this Xanga site.

*Queue freaky music...

Now here's the news story a few days later.

Star Wars Leaked Copy

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Yeah, that leaked copy of Star Wars? Not so hot. I wouldn't want to spoil the experience that is Star Wars by watching it with a timer running on the top third of the screen with subpar video quality. So, if you're on the 32nd hour of downloading it off bittorrent, I suggest you use your bandwidth for something else... like porn (Bai Ling in Playboy, definitely NSFW!)

Other yummies this morning:
Anna Kournikova Sweaty Adidas Pictures
Scarlett Johansson Cannes Pictures

For you stock traders out there, Scottrade launched their new interface this morning. It's sleek and I like it!

Google Portal

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Why do I only feel the need to post when Google makes another update? I'm not quite sure, it's almost as if I'm owned by them, or something.

The portal is finally here, albeit in a very basic form. I'm sure that will be remedied soon enough.

Go now!

Google Video

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So there's this big hoopla over Google's new Video Upload Program. You can upload your digital videos and promote them and even charge people for viewing them.

Is it just me or has Google just hooked themselves up with free pr0n for life? Imagine the employee incentives over there now. Finish a project early? We'll give you 50 gigabytes of voyeur bandwidth to access the video database at home.

Brilliant!

PS. Yes I know they say they won't allow pr0n on there, but c'mon, you think no one's gonna try?

360

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Just to clarify, the Yahoo! 360° and the Xbox 360 are not the same thing.

Yahoo! 360° is a Yahoo!'s new Orkut/Friendster/MySpace imitation website that semi-integrates in with other Yahoo! services.

The Xbox 360 is the next Xbox that Microsoft is unveiling on May 16th.

Now I can sleep tight.

Around the Web - Gmail Turns 1

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Gmail is giving more storage to every user, 2 gigabytes to be exact. Well, it's a running clock, starting from 1 gigabyate and increasing every second until it gets to 2. The good gets better.
Storage is an important part of email, but that doesn't mean you should have to worry about it. To celebrate our one-year birthday, we're giving everyone one more gigabyte. But why stop the party there? Our plan is to continue growing your storage beyond 2GBs by giving you more space as we are able. We know that email will only become more important in people's lives, and we want Gmail to keep up with our users and their needs. From Gmail, you can expect more.

Craiglist's Missed Connections - A Test of Fate

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In theory, missed connections, the website where you look for someone that you may have had a connection with in person but did not exchange contacts, is a cute idea that reminds me much of the movie Serendipity. It's romantic to think that you could have a second chance at that hottie you exchanged glances with at the mall, but were too shy to approach. But even I, formerly the cheesiest of the cheeseballs, will admit that it's practically impossible for anything meaningful to come out of this. First of all, there aren't enough people posting on there, so you're probably not going to see a post about you. But even if a lot of people started posting, you run into the problem of too many entries, and a person just isn't going to look through every single one. And who's to say that the person you're looking for has access to the Internet, let alone peruses the "missed connections" page? The logic behind the website is flawed, and it leaves you with only a minute possibilty to reunite with the one. However, for the rare few who happens to find that special person, albeit an mathematical anomaly, "missed connections" would have provided them the opportunity to reunite that they wouldn't otherwise have had before.

Syntax Olevia 26" LCD TV in April

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Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.usSyntax Olevia is gaining popularity as the best value LCD TV on the market, sporting good image quality for a low price. Reviews for their previous lineups have been quite favorable, so that's why I'm can't wait for their new $899 26", the LT26HVE, to come out. I got word straight from their sales rep that it will be available in retail channels in early April. I will be the first to pick one up. Unless I'm the second, in which case, I lied.

Around the Web - Best Gadgets Ever

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The Top 100 Gadgets of All Time {via Gizmodo -> Mobile PC} It has a nice nostalgic feeling to it, and includes some of my favorites, such as the Zippo lighter at #81:
Since that time, the Zippo lighter has grown to superstar status, the favorite of firebugs and chain-smokers alike. The preponderance of cheap, disposable butane lighters can't touch the elegance and charm (and lighter tricks) that the Zippo affords. As a testament to its popularity, more than 400 million Zippos have been sold, and countless fan clubs have sprung up to celebrate this ingenious incendiary.

Around the Web - Bunny Ransom

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Pay or Toby Dies {via Metafilter} This freak is threatening to kill and eat this rabbit unless $50,000 has been paid to him by June 30th, 2005, four months and 12 days from now. I'll admit it's creative, but personally, I think it's a little insensitive.
I don't want to eat Toby, he is my friend, and he has always been the most loving, adorable pet. However, God as my witness, I will divour this little guy unless I receive 50,000$ USD into my account from donations or purchase of merchandise.

Around the Web - Bose SoundDock

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Updated: 2/18/05 1:14 PM

Bose SoundDock Review {The Register} They say the same thing others say, including me. Great sound, high price.
The Bose does what it says on the tin, albeit at a price. This model retails at around £250, and while the sound is as impressive as these things get, the iPod fitting, the lack of support for the iPod Photo and the rather bulky remote are disappointing.

If you can stretch to the price this is a great speaker system. But do you really want to pay more for the speakers than you did for player?

Maddox on Sideways {The Best Page In The Universe} He finally updates. It's not controversial, but at least it's an update.

Fired Over Gorilla Nipple Fetish {via Metailfter} 2 female employees were fired because they didn't want to expose their breasts to Koko the Gorilla when told by the president to do so.

Around the Web - Napster Cracked and New Canon Rebel Leaked

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Napster Cracked, Already {via slashdot} The subscription service started earlier this month. Being that this is the middle of the month, that was fast. Same thing will probably happen to the new DVD-copy protection.
Engadget.com said by installing the digital music programme Winamp and then adding a secondary programme to Winamp called Output Stacker, users could convert the digitally protected files from one format to another that can then be burned, unencumbered, onto CDs.

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT {Engadget} Smaller and better than the super popular Canon Digital Rebel. This means that 1) the original Canon Rebel will be cheaper and 2) I will look into buying the new one. It's supposed to retail for under $1k according to Gizmodo.
The New Canon Rebel XT is an 8.0 Megapixel (APS-C CMOS sensor) DSLR with a 3 frames per second shooting rate (14 frame bursts) that Canon believes will take over from where previous Rebel releases have left off. It has the same DIGIC II image processor of found in the high end professional 'D-series' of DSLRs.

Around the Web - Best Dunk Contest Dunks 1984 ~ 2004

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All-Star is just around the corner, and I enjoyed the Slam-Dunk contests the most. So here are the best dunks during the Slam-Dunk contests for the last 20 years.

Best Dunk Contest Dunks {nba.com}

Sit back, fasten your seatbelt, relax, and enjoy the flight.

Around the Web - How to Be Happy

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Updated: 2/16/05 11:12 AM

The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People {via PaikyPoo} I'll bet one of the secrets is to stop surfing stupid sites on the web... and only check Bobas daily.
This is at the end of Chapter 7 ("Turn off the TV") -- from a 1998 study by someone named Wu: "Watching too much TV can triple our hunger for more possessions, while reducing our personal contentment by about 5% for every hour a day we watch."

But who really cares about that study? It's just common sense. Chapter 7 opens with a much more interesting insight: "Television is a creamy filling that distracts us from the substance of our lives."

LG Shows Bluetooth Car Mirror at 3GSM {via Gizmodo} This will be badass for people that don't have bluetooth built into their cars already, aka 98% of us.
In addition to the caller ID information, you also get a speakerphone function for hands free use of the phone while driving. The mirror is powered off of the car, as you would expect, but also has a battery built in that will allow for 150 hours of standby or 7 hours of talk time.

Homer's Strollers - 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT-8 & 2006 Lexus GS Sedans

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Have you dreamed of driving down your neighborhood on a sedan with 400+ ponies under the hood? Beat your next door neighbor and his Porsche in drag race while with three of your hottest girl-friends in the car? Don’t got enough dough for E-55 or M5? No Problemo! 2005 Chrysler 300C SRT-8 {Inside Line} is the ride for you. Powered by the legendary Hemi Engine, it is more than capable of doing all those above plus plenty more.

The new, more “passionate” 2006 Lexus GS {Msn Auto} has arrived. It will incorporate the latest technology Lexus has to offer. The new 6-speed sequential shift will be teamed up with the new Adaptive Variable Suspension which provides 4 different suspension settings.

Around the Web - Hot Celebs, Dell 24" Widescreen, and Macrovision Returns

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Scarlett, Keira, Eva, Jessica {jaredeng} Need I say more?

Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW Review {via Gizmodo -> ExtremeTech} It's a newly released badass 24" widescreen LCD that's gonna be oh-so-mine.
We were quite impressed with the Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW. Its combination of relatively low price, good performance, and ergonomic features will appeal to many. While $1,199 may not seem cheap, it considerably undercuts the competition. That may result in some price drops on other large displays in the future.

Macrovision Unveils New DVD Copy Protection {via slashdot} Oh boy. Hope you can still cancel that order of 1,000 blank DVD's.
Macrovision Corp. today plans to unveil technology that it claims can block 97% of the DVD-copying software that pirates use without interfering with a DVD's playability or picture quality.

2003 Nissan Murano For Sale

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Price: $24,000

Mileage: 35,500 Miles as of Jan 31, 2005

Model: SL
Exterior: Sheer Silver
Interior: Cafe Latte Leather

Drivetrain: 2WD

Packages and Options:
HID Headlamps w/Manual Levelizer
Memory System
SL Leather Package
- Leather Seating Surfaces
- 4-Way Power Front Passenger's Seat
- Silver Colored Lower Bumpers
Sunroof Package
- Sunroof
Premium Package
- Roof Rails
- Power Adjustable Pedals
- Radio: Bose Audio System w/In-Dash 6-Disc CD Chgr
- Cargo Net
- Cargo Coverda

Accessories:
Cargo Area Protector
Carpeted Floor Mats
Splash Guards

E-mail bobasblog@gmail.com if you are interested.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Exclusive! Jennifer Lopez 5 Years Later

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Bobas has attained the now infamous photo for Jennifer Lopez five years from now! Yes folks, that's a picture of her five years into the future. Surely a credit to this amazing medium calld the "Interweb".

Click here to see it {kinda NSFW, thx Sen)

Around the Web - That Pepsi Girl

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Updated: 2/14/05 4:24 PM

Mandy Fujiko Amano {via Gizmodo} One fascinating thing about the web is that it allows people to display their obsessions, er, affections towards anyone and let it be spread around the globe, fast. Mandy was in the Pepsi commercial during the Super Bowl and now she's fast becoming a web celeb. She's kinda cute, but I would never date her cause she shows 1/10th of a centimeter too much gum when she smiles. Therefore, I didn't return her call.

Debbie Gibson in Playboy {NSFW, sex and fun} My favorite source for news and commentary released a pictorial on the ageless Debbie. I get lost in her eyes. Yes, eyes.

Homer's Strollers - New 2006 BMW 330i, 2007 Infiniti Skyline, & 2007 Toyota Supra

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Welcome to the 1st edition of Homer's Strollers, anything related from baby strollers to $500,000 SLR McLaren (OK, maybe not the baby strollers).

Our first vehicle is the 2006 BMW 330i. The best-selling 3-Series finally got a much needed makeover. Facing stiff competition from it's Japanese counterparts, BMW delieverd a new redesigned 3-Series {Inside Line}.

Skyline, the dream car of most car ethusists is finally coming to the States. The new Skyline, which will be branded under the Infiniti will be availabe by '07. 2007 Infiniti GT-R {Inside Line} and Concept Car {Motor Trend}

Finally, my personal favorite, 2007 Toyota Supra {Inside Line} (Picture {AutoSpice}) is making it's way back since it's pre-mature death at 1998. Bolder, faster, and more powerful than before, coming to your local dealers @ 2007.

Stay tuned for more exciting previews.

1980 Caucasian For Sale

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Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Just a reminder, the BMW is still for sale. But in case you don't want a BMW for Valentine's, Bobas is also selling a caucasian. Details below.

1980 Caucasian
$4.02

GREAT CONDITION, LOW MILES, PREMIUM PACKAGE, CLEAN & WELL KEPT

STANDARD FEATURES
-5'11
-190 lbs
-Dirty Blond
-Blue Eyes
-Medium/Athletic build

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE FEATURES
-Self Cleaning
-Honest, sometimes brutally
-Owns a Condo
-Non-smoking

OPTIONS AND ADDITIONAL UPGRADES
-Glasses
-Software Engineer
-Great sense of humor

Premium Package
-Need I say more?

ADDITIONALS:
-Recently abandoned
-Used, but near mint condition

E-mail bobasblog@gmail.com if you're interested.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Update:
The 1980 Caucasian has been sold.

Eazy Money - Easy Money

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Eighty Freakin Four!
En fuego? Yes. Caliente? Certainly. Hotter than Britney Spears + Lindsay Lohan + Christina Aguilera? By a mile! I am simply running out of adjectives to describe my new baby, AAPL. At 8:00AM this morning, AAPL briefly scratched $84, prompting me to take some eazy profit by selling my Feb80 for $3.60. Remember, I rolled my Feb75 calls into the Feb80 calls on Friday. Had I not been a lazy bum and woke up 30 minutes earlier, I could've gotten $4.10 each. I promptly bought Mar90 calls for $1.40 to maintain some exposure to this hot mama.

It is now 11:30AM, and the stock has just broke $84!!! It took about 5 minutes for it to poke through $84. It is now sitting at a whopping $84.45, up $3.24! My Feb80 has gone up to $4.80 while Mar90 sits at $2. Needless to say, I would've done alot better had I kept the Feb80 calls.

Around the Web - Horny Spray and Mailman Retiring

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Spray Woman, Make Randy {via Wired -> BBC News} Spray boosts the female sex drive.
Researchers found a statistically significant rise in the number of satisfying experiences at the end of the fourth month for women taking the second highest dose of the spray... The only apparent side effect was a small increase in body hair among some of the participants.
So let me get this straight... she will finally have sex with you, but she will also look like Chewbacca.

Karl Malone Calls It Quits {espn} The man who likes to hunt little Mexican girls will not join the Spurs after all. Instead, he'll hunt full time. He'll be quite busy since there are a lot of Mexicans in LA.

Eazy Money - Split That Apple!

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Nice to split you
Took a little break yesterday. After the small crash the last two days, I wanted to re-evaluate my strategy. My conclusion? Don't be greedy and stick to the targets you set out to hit.

We just saw the most dramatic smack-down for weak AAPL holders. Since mid-day Wednesday, AAPL has gone from $82 to $77 on Thursday morning, and back to $81.50 today. The latest boost came on the announcment that there will be a 2-1 split happening on Feb18. Splits make the stock "appear" cheaper, which tends to draw alot of attention.

I finally took some actions today. I sold my Feb75 for $6.40 and bought Feb80 for $2.20. I wanted to maintain some exposure while keeping most of my profits. The high volatility and price should keep the premium on Feb80 from decaying rapidly into the expiration.

On an equally pleansant developement, INTC is up 45c today, closing in on $24. Being $4 in the money, the premium on my Apr20, at $3.90, was near zero. I rolled them into the Mar22.5 calls, for $1.70.

I also picked up some SBL Apr20 for 45c. This remains one of my favorite bet.
Updated 8:30AM

Around the Web - iPodlounge Photos and Yay-me

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Updated: 2/10/05 2:33 PM
iPodlounge Goes Bigtime {Wired} The article tells you how they have a lot of new members, yada yada, but who cares. I just wanted to show this photo from their user-submitted iPods Around the World(great idea!).

Yay-me {Slacker Manager} Since stocks are doing so bad these days, I'm all about the pick-me-ups.
The basic idea is simple: you just keep a file of good stuff you do... The yay-me file reminds you that you aren't always lame and that you make good decisions and you do good work... The idea here is just to help other people remember how great you are.

So I tried a couple games of NBA Street V3 last night and I agree with the reviews... it's badass. The graphics on the Xbox are tight and the controls are simpler this time around. I just don't have the time to learn the different combinations of buttons to press to do a psyche... now I can just nudge the right analog stick up-right and Kobe responds. Now I just need to earn enough points to buy me some new kicks.

A Job at Hand {thx Mark -> Flying Chair} I guess this is how hand-jobs are done in China... I guess.

1999 BMW 323i For Sale

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SOLD!!!

$16,000

1999 323i Steel Blue Gray Interior

GREAT CONDITION, LOW MILES, PREMIUM PACKAGE, BOUGHT NEW, CLEAN & WELL KEPT, UPGRADES and EXTRAS

STANDARD FEATURES
-2.5 Liter DOHC 24-Valve inline 6 cylinder engine
-Anti-lock brakes
-All Season Traction
-Front and Rear suspension and shock absorbers
-Dual Front and Front Side Airbags
- Head Protection System for front seats

COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE FEATURES
-Car & Key Memory
-Keyless Entry
-Automatic Climate Control
-Tilt/telescopic Steering Wheel
-Anti-theft audio system with 10 speakers
-6 Way adjustable front seats
-Fully finished trunk with reversible mat and tool kit

OPTIONS AND ADDITIONAL UPGRADES
-Steel Blue Metallic Paint
-Gray Leather
-Automatic Transmission
-Power Glass Moon roof
-AM/FM CD Player
-Myrtle Wood Trim
-Alarm System
-Floor Mats

Premium Package
-16x7 Star spoke Alloy Wheels
-Power front seats
-Front armrest
-Leather Multi-function steering wheel
-Cruise control
-On-board computer
-Full size spare tire

ADDITIONALS:
Changed all Tires and Rear Brakes 5,000 miles ago.

E-mail bobasblog@gmail.com if you're interested.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Around the Web - Another Naughty Teacher, Broken Hearts, and There's Always Tomorrow

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Teacher charged with having sex with student, 13 {CNN} My 7th grade teacher was old. And fat. More photos here. Of course, she's not even the first hot teacher charged this year.

Hearts Can Be Broken {CNN} I knew it!

Another Day Will Come {thx Wendy} If you are having one of those shitty days...
Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Fwd: Tourists

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Hehehe... {thx Dean}

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Eazy Money - Napping

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Whatever!
Ugly finish for an ugly day. This is by far the worst day for me in 2005 and we've seen some REAL nasty days.
Updated 01:05PM

Slow News Day
There is nothing much to discuss today. Dow, Nazz, SP are all down. There isn't a whole lot of volume with the exception of HPQ and CSCO. Shares of HPQ jumped more than 6% on news that the company board fired its CEO, Carly Fiorina. CSCO shed 2% following yesterday's disappointing earning report.

Nothing else seems to be developing. AAPL is up again, gaining as much as $1.09 this morning. It has since settled around yesterday's high of $81.38. If we get a late rally, I may take some actions. Otherwise, chalk this up as a wasted trading day.
Updated 10:16AM

Around the Web - Hi-Def Camcorder, Diamond Planet, and Headset for iPod/Cell

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Updated: 2/9/05 11:53 AM

Sony's High Definition Camcorder Review {Tom's Hardware} I've been waiting for this one for a while now, so I'm going to buy it. Oh wait, I don't have $3,500. But can you imagine the quality of home-made porn with this? Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, and Chyna have never looked so good!

Tons of Diamonds on Planet {Wired} Scroll down to "Look out, De Beers".
High pressure inside the planet would force the graphite to turn into layers of diamonds many miles deep.
I'm gonna make a round trip there, and though I may be old when I come back, I'll finally be rich!

One Headset for Both iPod and Cell Phone {BetaNews} And now for the obligatory iPod news... Plantronics released a headset that plugs into both an iPod and a cell phone at the same time, so you can interrupt your music to pick up the phone and listen to your mom nag. Yessssssssssssss!

Baby Name Wizard: NameVoyager {via Lifehacker} The girlfriend likes to think of baby names, so I thought she'd like this interesting little java'let. "Jimmy" has been on the decline for a while... sigh.
Explore the sea of names, letter by letter...watch trends rise and fall, and dive in deeper to see your favorite name's place in the historical tides.

Around the Web - iPod shuffle Raid, WOW and Mardi Gras

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4 iPod shuffles in Raid {via Gizmodo} Otherwise known as, nothing better to do with your time.
World of Warcraft Review {firingsquad} I've lost many friends to this game.
BourboCam {via Metafilter -> NOLA} Live uncensored webcast from Mardi Gras. Good luck boobie hunting!

Eazy Money - Eazy Fired?

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CSCO who?
The much anticipated earnings update from CSCO was as exciting as the Lakers without Shaq. CSCO barely met estimates, and missed slightly on rev (6.06B vs. 6.13B). The stock is down 28c (1.54%) after hours.

AAPL finished the day at $80.90, off from its fresh new 52-week high of $81.38 set today. I will be rolling my Feb75 calls to Feb80 calls tomorrow. I think the stock still has alot of upside. There are still people who don't know about Mac Mini and Shuffle (they also never used the internet).
Updated 4:30PM

...I am sorry, I can't be, perfect...
Yes, I've been fired from the notorious B.I.G. (B.I.G. = Bobas Investment Group) for completely making the WRONG call on SINA. Not only did SINA miss estimates, it also lowered next quarter guidance EBAY/AMZN style. The opened at $20.80, down from $27.35, but recovered a bit to $23.65.

To my defense, AAPL has done quite well and finally poked through the $80 mark. It sits handsomely at $80.86, up $1.92, after flirting with $81.38 earlier this morning. I would like to roll my Feb75 AAPL calls into Feb80 calls sometime today to lock in some gains. Feb75 call now stands at $6.00, up a lot from where I bought it at $2.20.

Most of the tech stocks are doing well this morning, ahead of CSCO earnings today after market, and DELL's after Thursday's close. The weirdest thing this morning is that INTC is up more than 2%. Que paso mujer? Not that I am complaining, since I own a few shares of INTC calls & stocks. I still believe INTC should hit $27-$28 this year. I am betting on Q1 earning report to be outstanding.
Updated 10:15AM

Around the Web - Google Maps and More Legos

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Google Maps and Owns World {via Slashdot} Google plans next to launch residental units on Mars.
Lego iPod Guy {via Gizmodo} Sorry, I can't go one day without posting something about the iPod.

Around the Web - GT4, Nipple Piercing and Hypoallergenic Cats

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Updated: 2/7/05 5:00 PM
Gran Turismo 4 Review {firingsquad} Doesn't come out for another month, but it's OK to be excited now.
June850 Pierces Nipple and Lives to Tell About It {Xanga} Xangan chick describes her ordeal in detail.
My initial wants was just 1, but now that I know it looks permanently hard my other looks uneven. Its like ones winking at me and the other isn't.

Allergy-Free Kitties {via Wired -> Business Week} Then maybe now I won't be scared to play with a... nevermind.
A fluffy that doesn't set off sneezes and sniffles could one day be a reality.

Superbowl Commercials {thx Homer -> FoxSports} In case you missed them, FoxSports has all the new Superbowl commercials listed. Be sure to watch the Verizon Wireless one in the 3rd quarter, where the miniaturization craze went too far.
Lego Star Wars for PS2 {Gamespot} Coming out in April, the screenshots just make me laugh.

Eazy Money - Earnings Watch

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Do I Feel Lucky?
SOHU reported in-line for the past quarter, but the stock dropped -11% after it guided down for Q1. This is setting up nicely for SINA, who reports earnings after market close today. SINA is down nicely from its high of $39 in Dec to about $27. Last quarter, after SINA reported a blow out quarter, SOHU followed with a very disappointing quarter. I am going to bet on SINA to beat estimates. I am seriously considering buying the Feb30 calls for 90c each. If the stock moves up $3 or more, I could get a double-play. Keep in mind, SNDA also reported a blow out quarter and stock did surge $5 the morning after.

On a separate note, TASR is also reporting tomorrw morning. I am too chicken to bet on this one. I rather go to Vegas and bet on Black =)
Updated 12:05PM

Happy Monday!
It's good to be back, after a tiring weekend. We have a few interesting developments today. First, Credit Suisse First Boston says TMTA is "a good fit" for AMD, sending TMTA stock up +10%. I hope it happens, I want to make my quick $1k!

URBN is up $1.34 to $44.68 this morning on slightly above average volume. Looks like investors are beginning to pay notice to this ultra-hip retail again. The stock still trades below its 52-week high of $48.47. I am almost back to even-money on my Mar45 calls.

Elsewhere, AAPL is down 22c, after being down as much as $1.34 this morning! There seems to be alot of talk about NAPS and RNWK and their flat fee subscription service.
Updated 11:30AM

Around the Web - NBA Street V3 and 20% Off iPods

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NBA Street V3 {IGN} drops tomorrow. I've always loved the graphics of the Street series, even if I'm not into street ball as much as the NBA. You see, I'm an ol' school basketball fan; I'm into the 15-foot jumper, the pick and roll, and the layup. Just kidding. I want this game now!
CompUSA.com 20% Off MP3 Players {techbargains} Use coupon code BEADS2 to get 20% off all mp3 players except the iPod shuffle. It's not supposed to work with iPods, but it does as of right now. I'm sure it'll sell out fast, so you better hurry.

Review: iPod2Car Adapter

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A company called Peripheral Electronics is selling an adapter that allows you to play your iPod through your car stereo, making a straight connection to your factory unit so it outputs the highest sound quality possible. It's compatible with the major brands of cars such as Honda, Toyota, and many more. Is it worth $199.95 for the price of admission?

First, the highlights of the iPod2Car. Unlike the cheaper FM transmitters that you see in the stores, this makes a direct connection so you get CD quality sound. The FM transmitters definitely don't sound as good. The iPod2Car also charges the iPod while it's plugged in. One connection provides the sound and the power. One last thing about it is that you can control the iPod through the car radio buttons and your steering wheel. That was a big plus for me because I have the steering wheel control on my Honda.

And now for the not-so-highlights. First of all, it costs $199.95. You can buy a couple separate parts and put it together yourself minus the car radio controls for about $80, but you will need to do more fiddling. Also, you don't have full control over the iPod through the car radio, nor can you see the display. It's not advised to control the iPod unit while driving, so if you're driving by yourself, you have to wait til you get to a stop to find a specific song. There are newer converters coming out from Alpine and other brands that will provide both the display and full controls through the face unit.

All in all, I am quite happy with the iPod2Car adapter because I can listen to my iPod in the car with cd quality sound. I like to switch to the shuffle mode before I get on the road, and just let it choose random songs. It requires some work to get it plugged into the back of your factory car radio, but once that's done, it works as advertised. The iPod2Car earns 4 Bobas.

Movie Review with No Spoilers: The Wedding Date

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I know I'm gonna catch hell from my coworkers for watching The Wedding Date, let alone reviewing it. But the truth is, I enjoyed it and I think anyone who liked "My Best Friend's Wedding" would like it too because that's what Wedding Date reminded me of. I didn't expect much from it, and only went because the girlfriend wanted to see Dermot Mulroney. I have to admit, the guy's pretty suave. There were a few funny moments, but nothing like Best Friend's Wedding. Debra Messing and Dermot had convincing chemistry, and that's what kept me entertained... well, that and the crude jokes that only the British could make without shame. Gotta love them blokes. So I'm gonna go ahead and recommend this as a cute romantic movie that you can watch with your significant other or the person you wish to be your SO. 3.5 Bobas. Since I don't have an image to represent 3.5 Bobas yet, just picture in your mind three and a half cups filled with bobas, and one and a half cup empty. Good luck.

Gmail Giveaway

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For the 56 people in the entire universe that doesn't yet have Gmail and want one, we are going to give it to you! Yes, you lucky duck. Just E-mail me at ijimmy@gmail.com with the subject "Bobas rules! Gimme my damn Gmail!".

Around the Web - Japanese Sleeps Anywhere, Next Nintendo and Xbox Names

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Japanese Suits Sleep Everywhere {via Metafilter} I love how Japanese businessmen can just sleep anywhere in their suits. Why not?
Next Nintendo Called Revolution {via Gamespot} Probably. Yay.
Next Xbox Called 360 {via Engadget} Probably. Yay.

Eazy Quickie - AMZN: FEB 42.5 PUT

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Event: AMZN misses earning badly

Stock: AMZN
02/02 Price: $41.88
02/03 Price: $35.75
Option: Feb 42.5 Put
02/02 Price: $2.60
02/03 Price: $6.70
Equity % = 0.62/2.60 = 23.8%

Buy 6 contracts at 02/02 close for $1560.
Sell 6 contracts at 02/03 close for $4020.

Your profit = $2460.
Your ROI = 158%

20/20 hindsight ROCKS!

Buying only calls/puts that are "in the money" with budget of ~ $1500.
Assuming you make the RIGHT call. For more information on making the right call, please email GOD!

Eazy Money - In Denial

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2 for 2 BABY!
SNDA jumped $5. Could've doubled my money had I bought the Feb40. These Chinese keep proving their doubters wrong. I didn't buy it because I was concerned the potential upside has already been priced into the recent valuation.
ASKJ beat their estimates (35c vs. 32c) but the shares dropped $1.30. I hope its not because they missed their rev target (86.1M vs. 86.7M).
MXO went up 4% after posting some losses - although it is unknown why anyone would actually own this stock.
Updated 02:45PM

No...........
It was bound to happen -- AAPL finally went down!!! This must be a technical error!

As long as we don't go below Tuesday's close, I will be happy. The stock is currently down $1.70. Maybe investors are threatened by the Nap?

URBN is making some noise this morning. Stock is up $1.00 to $42.40, but it still sits below my strike price of $45. The 13% growth last month fell just shy of the estimated 13.7%.

AMZN is getting hammered (and rightfully so), down more than $7. I don't know how long they can last in the ultra competitive online retailing. They need some new ideas.

We got two exciting earnings tonight, one from the Chinese online gamer SNDA and Google's cousin, ASKJ. I would bet on both to beat their estimates.

I will be adding a new section called "Eazy Quickie" because, we can ALL use a quickie sometimes. In my case, I need it everyday!

This section will highlight one stock option that has doubled overnight. With a budget of $1500 (thanks Jimmy) we will try to double our money, with our excellent hindsight.
Updated 11:10AM

Around the Web - PSP Release, Wynn in Vegas and Cell Phone Help

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Sony PSP Out March 24th {via Slashdot -> Yahoo!}
For the first one million PSP Value Packs shipped, a special UMD video release of the feature film Spider-Man(TM) 2 from Sony Pictures Entertainment.
My inner geekness just had a geekgasm™(My word! Steal it and I'll sue).
Wynn Las Vegas Opens April 28 {Gridskipper}
Honey, what? Can't hear you, losing signal {via Lifehacker -> boingboing} For those times when you're trying to cheat on your girlfriend/spouse and they happen to call you, use the sound insertion services to generate a busy office environment. Really though, I'd just use it to get off the phone with the tons of hot girls that call me all day long. There's only so much of me to go around.

Around the Web - Mac Mini Hater, PSP vs DS, and Britney Nude

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Mac Mini Review: Not Good Value {via Metafilter, satire} A different point of view, someone who doesn't like the Mac Mini. But wait, why?
If you believe Apple’s marketing department, the new Mini is “smaller than most packs of gum” and weighs “less than four quarters”... Hold a Mini in one hand and four quarters in the other and tell me which one feels heavier.
I could get a Mac mini computer for $499... or I could grab an equally stylish, full-featured eMachine at the gas station with a bag of chips for less than half the Mini's price.
There is no Mac version of WeatherBug to check the temperature anywhere in the world. Nor is there a Mac version of helpful web and email enhancers like Hotbar. Or any equivalent of the DealHelper software I use to keep track of my passwords.

Sony PSP vs Nintendo DS: Pornability {via Way of the Rodent} This may be the first real important comparison between the two systems.
Britney Spears Nude on Balcony {via The Superficial, NSFW} As opposed to, naked inside her clothes.

Eazy Money - Google Shines

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So much expecation, so little performance
AMZN missed its earnings pretty bad and the stock is paying for it after hours - down 13%. I was expecting it to miss a little, but it was worse than a Shaq free throw attempt (35c vs. 40c). Revenue actually beat the estimates (254B vs. 242B). I did check out the Feb40 puts, but decide against it. Would've been up at least 100%!

SBUX came out with a disappointing 7% increase in same store sales for Jan, which fell way short of expectiation (last Jan: 12%, avg monthly increase: 10.5%). This isn't the first time SBUX has failed to impress (8% last August). I'd be scared to own this stock at such high PE multiples. The stock is WAYYYY off from its 52 week high of $65.
Updated 02:10PM

What Fed meeting?
As expected, he Feds raised the short term rate another quarter point today. Market dropped a bit, pushing the SP and Nazz into the reds, before making a strong and encouraging comeback at close. The lack of action almost put me to sleep (it's definitely not my work)

AAPL continues to flirt with the $80 barrier, going as high as $79.90 before settling at around $79.55. I remained very bullish on AAPL and will wait for it to break $80 before making any moves. The Feb75 call is now up to $5.50! GOOG closed "only" up $14, after being up as much as $24.

WOW, AMZN really stunk it up AGAIN. Drop it like it's hot!
Updated 01:20PM

Google will now search... your garage???
Don't laugh, stranger things have happened.

the only thing that sucks about being right is not benefiting from being right

- some famous philosopher

Ok, you got me, that quote belongs to me. I was RIGHT on picking GOOG to beat estimates. I even went so far to say that I would buy the Feb 200 calls because I felt it was unlikely to see a +/- swing. My PROOF. I ended up not buying any since most of my money is in this other company named Apple.

Well as it turns out, we got the $20 swing, probably due to short squeezes and lots of upgrades. Here is a rundown on how the different calls fare:

Feb 200 call - $6.20 --> $15.20 -- HI = $20.00
Feb 210 call - $3.60 --> $8.70 -- HI = $13.50
Feb 220 call - $1.80 --> $4.00 -- HI = $7.80
Feb 230 call - $0.85 --> $1.70 -- HI = $4.40
Feb 240 call - $0.50 --> $0.65 -- HI = $2.55

At this point, Feb200 stands out as the best ROI with a 145% gain. However, if you had a crystal ball and sold at today's peak, the 230/240 calls would've yielded 400% compared to only 233% for Feb200.

Clearly, in order to maximize the ROI, you must be right on both the direction of the stock AND the amount of moment. Unfortunately, for most of us, the second part is irrelevant more often than we like.

The market is acting like a lazy gorilla. With the Fed's decision coming up at 11:15AM, we are unlikely to see any major movements. GOOG and YHOO have retreated a little bit since running up early morning. Google's world domination partner AAPL has joined the fun and is flirting with the $80 mark. If it breaks the $80 mark, I will sell my Feb75 calls to buy some Feb80 or Mar80 calls to maintain my exposure to AAPL.
Updated 09:30AM

Around the Web - Mep Ball, People I Hate, and MS Loves Apple

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Updated: 2/2/05 3:42 PM

Mep Ball {via anticlown, flash} Waste a little time at work and play this keep-the-ball-in-the-air-and-score game.
Cellphone Drivers are Bastards {via Slashdot} They beat me to it, for I was about to write a 30-page essay on why people who drive and talk on the phone should be subjected to great pain. Why is it that when a car makes a major mistake and almost crashes into me almost always involves a person talking on the phone or a chick, or worse, a chick talking on the phone? To be fair, there have been guys who almost crashed into me that weren't on the phone. Just not as often.
A report from the University of Utah says when motorists between 18 and 25 talk on cell phones, they drive like elderly people moving and reacting more slowly and increasing their risk of accidents.

Microsoft Employees Hearts Apple iPods {via Wired} It's like your girlfriend surfing my site at your house. Heh, that was so not even a good analogy.
To the growing frustration and annoyance of Microsoft's management, Apple Computer's iPod is wildly popular among Microsoft's workers.

How to Kill Your Coworker. This Too {via Metafilter} I didn't post this yesterday because I didn't feel the need to, but my coworker is getting so annoying that I am posting this to discourage him from throwing more nerf darts at me.

Around the Web - Jessica Simpson, PSP, and Rudy T

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Updated: 2/1/05 5:50 PM

Tech
Another Sony PSP Review {via The Register} They loved it. And so will I.
The New MSN Search {via MSN, duh} You can ask it questions instead of putting in keywords, such as, "how can I make it longer?" Hehe, worth a try.
Google Suggests! {via Google} Sticking with the Google theme featured prominently by Eazy-Ive today, they have a new search that suggests words while you're typing in keywords to search. What will they think of next? Hmm, type some words and see!

LOL
Asian Tatoo Artest Lies About Tats, Again {SATIRE via Souf Oaklin Online} Cool white people, think again before getting that Chinese or Japanese word tatooed for life. Make sure it doesn't say "I Swallow."
Scoring with the Cheerleader {via Anticlown, video} Totally fake, but pretty damn cool.
Quote of the Day {via DavidKwon.com}
Before criticizing someone, walk a mile in his shoes. That way if he gets mad at you he'll be a mile away and barefoot.

Sports
Rudy T Rumored to Quit Tonight {via espn} I've been telling people in my office and their response... "Rudy who?"

Celebs
Jessica Simpson Photos {via All The Pink} On the set of the new Dukes of Hazzard movie. I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought.
Jennifer Garner Photos {via The Superficial} At the Golden Globes. She's sort of like sashimi... an acquired taste that you either really love or really hate. There's really no in-betweener's with Bennifer.

Eazy Money - Goog Day Mate!

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Squeeze those shorties!
...

$210 and counting. Simply amazing. There is the +/- $20 I was looking for.

I showed my coworkers our blog site. After reading my "Eazy Money" posts

Coworkers: " Dude, did you misspell GOOD? "
Eazy: " ... "
Updated 04:15PM

Let her ride boys...
GOOG beats estimates by a dime! (87c vs. 77c) Consequently, the stock is up a cool $12 and counting. It should be interested to see how much it will move above $200. My Feb 200 call would look pretty darn good right about now! Too bad I didn't have any cash available. It is fast approaching the 52 week high of $205+.

This could lead to a good opening tomorrow.
Updated 01:30PM

GOOG Watch
Wow... The homebuilders sector is on fire today. Most of the key stocks are setting new 52-week highs. Many of them are 50-100% up from their August low (KBH, HOV, PHM, RYL, LEN, SPF, TOL and CTX). Good thing I didn't try to short them!

For the internet sector, nothing good is happening. YHOO, GOOG, ASKJ are all down before GOOG's big earning announcement. I expect GOOG to beat the consensus of 77c, but by how much -- I have no clue. The premiums are quite high on the options (both puts and calls) to make me comfortable. The stock would have to do something drastic either direction +/- $20 to make any strangle/straddle work. If the stock drops to 190, I may consider buying some calls, like the Feb 200.

As for my own stocks, YHOO is getting hammered. I guess people are expecting a bad report for GOOG. AAPL and PNC are both up less than 1%, but it's nothing to quit my day job over. The surprise mover is INTC, up almost 1% today. It has been frustrating (and VERY costly) to see INTC give out positive announcements one after another, but still hovers below $25.

P.S. If GOOG beats soundly, we should see some sweet short squeezies tonight. Stay tuned.
Posted 10:30AM

Around the Web - Michael Jackson, Powerbook, and About Bobas

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Michael Jackson Trial Begins {via cnn} No witty sarcastic comment necessary.
Apple Powerbook Updated {via slashdot} And the world domination continues.

I know, it's slow. It's a Monday. Everyone's rushing to finish stuff they said they had done the previous week before their bosses find out.

I'll take this time to explain a little about this site. It's cool. Hmmm. Oh, in addition, we're just a group of gambling-obsessed gadgety guys. We gamble on stocks and invest in blackjack, all the while listening to our iPods. We all love karaoke, but only some of us can sing. I'm quite sexy, on the inside. Eazy's real cute, according to his mom. The rest are just ugly.

World's Smallest Pacman Game {via Metafilter, flash} Perfect for guys with the world's smallest p...

Google Becomes Domain Registrar {via BetaNews} Is it just me, or will Google and Apple own the world in 2 to 3 years?

I was just watching the 76ers vs the Pacers on NBA TV... Kyle Korver made a game winning shot, and the arena starts blasting a song and you hear, "play that funky music whiteboy!" I thought that was funny.
Then they show highlights of the Pistons visiting George Bush and the White House today, and Bush addresses the team, "nobody thought you would win... I know how you feel." That was funnier.

Eazy Karaoke - Ocean Avenue

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Artist - "Yellowcard"
Album - Ocean Avenue
Karability - 2 out of 5
Sounds Like - Simple Plan, New Found Glory
Best Line - "we were both 18 and it felt so right. Sleeping all day staying up all night..."

Ah... those college days of no sleeping... This is one of my favorite song! For some reason, whenever I hear the song, it reminds me of the sunny beaches (maybe cuz the name says "OCEAN"?) . This song has got it all, manic beats, heavy bass, and violin (yes, violin!) Who knew that violin is such an AWESOME rock instrument?

The chorus is simply awesome. Unfortunately, the notes are quite hard to hit, prompting the 2 star k-rating, but that doesn't mean you can't try (just not when others are around)

This DEFINITELY gets 5 bobas!

Eazy Money - Healthy Close

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We had a pretty good close today. The indexes except most of its gain and we didn't have a late day meltdown that had became the norm in 2005. I was tempted to take my profits on AAPL when it hit $78 but I held on, my target remains at $80.

My other holdings all went up 2-3% today (URBN, PNC, YHOO). Unfortunately, I am about one strike price out of money so I did not feel much of the push.

The big news tomorrow will be GOOG's earning announcements after the market closes. If it beats again like last quarter, it should really benefit the tech sector.

I continue to beat myself up for not buying SBL back after I took some profit early January. It made another 52-week high today and it has a chance to reach $20. This stock remains high on my list of long term investment, along with PNR.

Eazy Money - An Apple a Day Keep Your Debtors Away!

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AAPL finally set a new 52-week high today. When the blowout earning announcement failed to create a significant new 52-week high, I knew this stock was held back by the general pessimism. I mean, who can be optimistic when all your money has been wiped away in two weeks (I am not bitter, BTW). You just don't stay BELOW your pre-earning level after beating by 21c (70c vs 49c).

With the introduction of Mac Mini's, PC users will have NO EXCUSE not to try the Macs out for their second/kids computers. I even bought myself a Mac Mini and Shuffle, just to get myself into the "Apple phenomenon". Seeing how they are backordered just about everywhere, I wouldn't be surprised to hear from Apple, about how they are surprised how well the Mini's are selling!!!

I bought the Feb 75 options at $2.25, back on Jan 13th, after the earnings. It promptly nosedived to $1.10. It jumped $2 today and trades at $3.80-$3.90 as we speak. Since it is more than half "in the money", I aim to hold the option til the stock hits $80, then roll to the Mar 85, to lock in some gains.

So trade carefully and let's make some more eazy money~

eazy positions: call aapl, yhoo, urbn, pnc; long tmta, intc

Eazy Money - Disclaimer!

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This running column will detail my foray into the dark and unpredictable world of options trading. All transactions are real (This aint no fantasy stock trading, sirs!) I will reiterate my current positions in each post. Feel free to bet with or against me. The object is obviously to "get rich quick" because, life is just too short to get rich slow!

Netflix vs Blockbuster

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Netflix - 2 weeks free trial, $17.99 per month after that
Blockbuster - $9.99 first month, $14.99 per month after that

At first glance, it appears that Blockbuster is the better deal. Having tried both, I can tell you the differences that I've experienced. As with most things, your mileage may vary, but c'mon, my opinion means more.

First, the similarities. They both claim to have over 30,000 titles in their library. Both deals are for 3 movies out a time. Both have free shipping both ways, and both have have the "cancel anytime" policy.

The differences, as far as my account goes, were these:
- I noticed that Netflix wasn't always able to ship me some movies on the top of my list. However, Blockbuster was worse in terms of put titles on wait.
- The turnaround time for Netflix was faster than Blockbuster by about 2 days. Meaning, after I sent my movies back to Netflix, it look longer to receive my next movies. This could be due to where I live, but I suspect that since Netflix has been in this business longer, they are more efficient in the processing of the movies.
- When I cancelled my Netflix account, everything went as planned, and I was no longer charged. When I cancelled my account with Blockbuster, I received 2 E-mails half a month later telling me that I did not return 2 movies, and that I have been charged $21.54 for each movie. Come again? First of all, I never received those movies, and second of all, I could buy those movies cheaper elsewhere! There were times, although rare, when the Netflix website showed that they had sent me a movie when I in fact didn't receive it. I simply logged on and told them that I never received it, and it was never an issue after that. With Blockbuster, I am still dealing with my credit card company to get the credit from Blockbastards. It's a complete waste of my time, and my time is worth at least $5 an hour!

In conclusion, Netflix is pretty good and Blockbuster sucks. At least Blockbuster gives you 2 in-store rentals per month, so they earn an extra Boba.

Blockbuster receives 2 Bobas:


Netflix receives 4 Bobas:

Eazy Karaoke - On The Way Down

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Artist - "Ryan Cabrera"
Album - Take It All Away
Karability - 4 out of 5
Sounds Like - John Mayer, if he was a girl

Eminem he isn't, Ryan tries to show his sensitive side by singing like he is about to cry. He has a slightly coarse voice and a very limited range, which should make this a karaoke favorite.

This is probably the easiest song you will hear from me. So, go get it and let's all sing like a girl!

4 out of 5

Around the Web - Teri Polo in Playboy

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Female ABA Coach Fired {via espn} As it wasn't amazing enough that she was 22 when hired as a coach of a professional men's basketball team, she's also a chick and they had a record of 17-7. But the thing that surprised me the most was that the ABA was back in business! Wow. Too bad her boss fired her following an argument.

Teri Polo in Playboy! {via sex and fun, NSFW} Woohoo! I've had a crush on her ever since Meet the Parents. Of course she's currently in Meet the Fockers, but if you're still reading this instead of looking at her pics, then you're weird. Link below.

Update 11/20/05: The Teri Polo link is outdated, here is a good link.

FreeiPods.com: Does It Work?

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Yes.

For obvious reasons, most people think the freeipods.com website is a scam. I assure you, it's for real. If you want to put in some time, you can get it.

Here's how it works:
1) You sign up with freeipods.com for yourself
2) You complete one offer
3) Get five friends to sign up to freeipods.com with your referral link
4) They each complete one offer
5) You do some amount of waiting and checking, and eventually it's at your door

Try it for yourself. They're also doing a FreeGamingSystems, FreeiPodShuffle, FreeMiniMacs, and many more.

Here are a few important things to keep in mind if you're planning on doing this; and tell this to the people that sign up under you.
1) Be sure to use the correct referral link when initially signing up. It looks something like http://www.freeiPods.com/?r=9517833. It should list the referral ID of the referrer in the space above where you enter a E-mail and password. If not, repaste the url and try again. If you sign up without the referrer, they won't go back and change it for you. Nor can you delete the account. After signing up, make sure the person that referred you has you under their list. If not, I'd wait until it does show up.
2) The first time you sign up, after you enter your contact information, they show you a LOT of offers. These are not the offers that you need to complete. Just say no to all of them. The offer you need to complete will be under the link Complete Offer.
3) Disable pop-up blockers when signing up for one of the offers. If you've installed Windows Service Pack 2, it may block pop-ups by default. Go to Tools -> Pop-up Blocker -> Turn Off Pop-up Blocker. Or if you're using a Google/Yahoo! toolbar, disable it there. You don't want to take any chance of their javascript not working and thereby not crediting you properly.
4) Find the offers that don't require any money up front. Most of the offers will require that you have a credit card, which is OK, as long as it's free. Try the free trials, but just be sure to cancel it before the trial period ends. Most of the problems arise when people don't cancel the services in time and the company starts charging you when the trial period is over. Or try applying for the credit cards.
5) Have patience. They are a small crew and are swamped with requests up the wazoo. But be persistent when you are having legitimate problems. If you have all the requirements and they put you on hold for any reason, ask them often through their Help section why it is on hold and demand explanations.

If you need more help, FreeiPodGuide is a great resource for all the free sites.

I have already received a free iPod as well as a free flat screen TV from them. It works!

Photos of my free iPod.

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

Around the Web - Sammy Sosa So Long

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Sosa To Orioles? {espn} Cubs to receive steroids in return for "beisbol has been berry berry guud to me" Sammy.

Around the Web - Preorder PSP and Brazilian Wax

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Preorder Sony PSP {GameStop} Bundled with games for $379.95. I'm not sold yet, but when March rolls around, I don't know how I am going to hold back. Review {Wired}

Go ahead, ask me, "Jimmy, what's going on today?" To which I'll reply, "nothing much." Yeah, it's a slow day, but it's Friday. Who's going gambling this weekend? Poker anyone?

Brazilian Wax {via Metafilter, no nudity video} Pretty women getting waxed for the first time... virgin waxers, if you will.

Eazy Karaoke - Vindicated

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Artist - "Dashboard Confessional"
Album - Spiderman 2 Soundtrack
Karaoke-bility - 1 out of 5

Ok, this is a pretty old song. But I just can't seem to get it out of my head today. "Dashboard Confessional" is like a guilty pleasure. On one hand, I question his manliness with his high pitch whiny voice. On the other hand, his wide range makes the chorus really stand out. Besides, who doesn't want to be vindicated?

Just like their other songs, normal guys just can't hit those high chorus, unless, well, unless you are without a certin body part =)

4 out of 5

Around the Web - Napoleon, Indecent Proposal, and the Black Razr

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Napoleon Dynamite Soundboard {Albino Blacksheep, via Revoked} If you loved the movie, you will love this soundboard.

Indecent Proposal {paulzarouii.com, flash, just a little nsfw} Another one of those "for everything else, there's mastercard" commercials, but this one is funny.

Black Motorla V3 Razr {c|net} They will be handing these out in the Oscar grab bags. I want to be a famous actor just so I can get these hookups. Would be nice to date Mandy Moore and stuff too, though.

iPod shuffle Review

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Well I ain't gonna worry this life away... sings Jason Mraz on the Apple 1 GB iPod Shuffle that I'm listening to right now. That's how I feel about using this new iPod. I don't want to worry about getting every song onto my iPod... I just throw in my favorite songs quickly... and go. The flash drive doesn't copy songs as fast as it's older brothers' hard drive, but the convenience of the size and weight makes up for it. Another feature that I love is the instant USB drive. Just remove the cap and plug it into the USB port. When my friends get together, we take lots of pictures but I can never get it from the bastards. Now, when we get together, we're gonna transfer all the photos to one laptop, then copy them to our shuffles. Instant gratification!

What I like about the iPod shuffle:
Light and small - I think my Shure E3c earbuds weigh more than it does!
Great sound quality
Easy to use
Drop-friendly
A perfect USB drive
Sexy!

What I don't like:
Slower copying songs than the regular iPods
A little pricey

So there it is, I've confessed my love for the iPod shuffle. Sure, you can buy another brand's mp3 player with more features and lower price, but dude, it's just not as cool. I'm handing this little sucker the maximum 5 Bobas.



More photos:

Plugged into a Dell 700m laptop.



Used with Shure E3c-n Sound Isolating Earphones

Daily Song - A Decade Under The Influence

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Artist - "Taking Back Sunday"
Album - Where You Want To Be
Sounds Like - "The Used" with less screaming and faster pace

4 out of 5