rudis dot net

Hey folks... The last day of the year begins with an early roundup of some interesting bits from around the internets:

• If you think you're safer using your credit card at a restaurant than over the Internet, you're very, very wrong. You need to read this one.
• How exactly does 14,800 pounds of ground beef go missing? (Brings new meaning to "Where's the beef?")
• Maybe the DHS should stop oppressing the average folks and take a look inward instead.

When NPR decides to delve into the murky waters of security and technology, professionals should probably take some notice:

• Marketplace reported (wait a bit for the audio associated with that blurb to be posted) on the increased dangers of identity theft predicted for 2008.
• NPR's Morning Edition also covered identify theft and gave a brief nod to Netscape Navigator's demise.
• At the peak, Amazon was selling 17 Wii's per second this Christmas. That's quite a bit of Wii.

It's a gorgeous day out here and the posts may be few and far between for the rest of the day. Mary & I will be taking some time alone at Monsoon tonight and I'll be sure to post some comments on the cuisine.

One last note is that EVE Online looks amazing on a 46" Sony Bravia LCD HDTV. Booted Windows XP on the MacBook Pro and hooked it up with a DVI-to-HDMI cable, piped the stereo out to the receiver and worked the controls with Apple's Bluetooth keyboard (old school) and a Logitech wireless mouse. The Trinity expansion with the enhanced graphics make it look like you're watching a movie. Great fun!

Happy new year everyone!

If you're one of the few who managed to get a new Wii for Christmas (we got ours back in late September), this thread is a good one to bookmark and go back to on occasion. The replies are just coming in, but there are some good suggestions for getting even more enjoyment than beating the pants off your kids in Wii bowling *:^)

Apart from traversing Tiger mountain, I also managed to get in a coastal-to-burke-gilman ride in and paid a visit to Alderwood Community Church (which I'll be heading back to as well).

The highlight (apart from my attempt at making chili in my tiny abode) was the purchase of a Wii (Mary suggested it, so I'm not sure what they've been slipping into her Diet Coke back east). I may do some game reviews as we all finally come together and start playing it. Despite what you may have heard, finding one was as easy as going to SAMS Club and taking a ticket up to the counter. It's amazing to see how Nintendo can keep such a tight hold on pricing controls, even when it comes to Wal-Mart (SAMS Club is just a subsidiary of the giant retailer). The console is (like all consoles) a potential money pit, tho. Controllers; accessories; games; etc. A good racket.

We should close on the old house Friday if all works out and be settled here (partially) on the 12^th and completely on the 18^th.