Merry After Christmas.

I sent Lou over to FAO Schwarz to find me a huge teddy bear on Christmas Eve. I have been asking for the bear since last year. Well, actually I found one online, but he believed so deeply that he can find better one. He went to Toys"R"Us on Times Square as well, but mission failed! It's very hard to find a big teddy bear. That is cute and cuddly. Most of the bears they carry is for babies, or for collectors(Steiff bears $100~900). So I ordered it from Just Teddy Bears, online store from CA. I'm not into those bears that looks like it's been in the back of your car too long and squished to death face or too realistic of a face. Anyhow, I hope every got what they wanted for Christmas! - j.

Could Google pave the way to online subcription based services?

Right now I should be composing emails to my recent interviews but I rather wait it off until I can get more guidance from dear old sister. Apparently she has a knack at writing business letters and the like. Something that I never really got the hang of. I guess being a lazy reader when I was young kinda bit me back.

I finally got to use Google's word processing software. The software was easy and to the point. Most importantly it can be saved as a Doc format. I would not use it more or less versus Appleworks or MS office. I have the feeling that if this becomes successful other software companies will follow suit. I can easily imagine couple years from now when online connection speeds are faster and an "active" registration (where companies can keep a track of you via SN) are a common place. Imagine when the only thing you need is a computer with an operating system and a simple browser nothing else. Application folders will just become links to your "subscribed" software. There will be no ownership of software. Kinda funny thinking about the next Adobe CS online addition. Massive font, clip art, brush selections at your finger tips for only $49.99/month!

Talks of distributed computing for the likes of SETI and protein folding research will be eclipsed eventually by commercial software. I see it as a way for animation programs to use other subscribed users available computing power to help render difficult scenes.

Peer to peer software could be modified so that subscribed users can use others tool sets when permitted to. So let say Jimmy from Texas needs some action script for a flash scene. He pulls down his scripts "friends" list to see what is available in there database. He finds that Jorge from Madrid did a script that he can modify to suit his needs. It sounds like fiction until you find out that the flash software he's using is a subscription and that the program is actually at the head quarters he is subscribed to. Since the company can control the software in every aspect; things like sharing data seamlessly will just be an after thought. I guess one can call it a active distributed software system.

One of the great advantages to online based software is the compatiability aspect. Any software system so long it has a browser can utilize it. It is advantages to users in that they no longer have to worry about installation and updates. The time saved for software companies in developing one format is lower overhead. Enviromentalist will celebrate since there is little packaging waste.

Flash based games already have many aspects written above. You can play it online with no installation. Your high score is already saved in the games database available for viewing by any other would be player. Google predicted this and sooner or later others will follow as well.

So just like music, software will no longer have a physical representation of it self. Just a box, if your lucky a manual, a card, and a serial number.

1000 Objects?

1000 EXTRA/ORDINARY OBJECTS is a fun book to read, or just flip through.I just picked it up in Barnes & Noble on 22nd street and 6th avenue. Originally, I was looking for a cheap anatomy book, but I couldn't find any book that was on sale at this time.

This book features 1000 objects from all around the world and explains how it is used or where it came from. Sounds interesting? Yes, it's quite fascinating. You just can't stop flipping pages, it's pretty addicting. With a price tag of $10, you can't go wrong. It's a great book if you need come up with new ideas or just to kill time.

"Why is the rum gone?"

Said Captain Jack Sparrow.
I just realized our PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN DVD is actually 2-Disc Collector's edition. Which consist of deleted scenes and blooper reels and other good stuff. Lately DVDs come with 2-disc, it's great. I think we bought this DVD on sale for $14.99, DVD prices are really uneven throughout online stores to actual stores, so you really have to find it on luck or look for the best price. Some places charges crazy prices for certain ones. Enough of DVD talk. After watching PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN: Dead Man's Chest, I had a strange urge to watch PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN: The Curse of Black Pearl. I guess it makes more sense when you watch it over and over again, Louis hardly even remember watching "The Curse of Black Pearl."

If you get the extended edition, it even comes with historian talking about real pirates in details and other facts and painting that inspired the whole theme, pirates. Drunken men fighting in most impossible situation, looking for treasure to undo the curse, playing tactics to get to what they really desire is quite fascinating. It's not all about treasure hunting is what makes it interesting. On top that, great CG always helps a lot. But they put a really hard work to it, all the animators thank you! You guys are great. With help of 2nd disc they will show you how they transformed the cursed pirates to the --- you know the bonny really cursed scary pirates.

Well, PIRATES OF CARIBBEAN: Dead Man's Chest is still in theaters. I saw this great billboard in Times Square. I think that's what made me think of watching the first one again. And, well we love pirates. So if you like pirates, action adventure movie give it try.

Grateful Day.

Seriously, what a nice day.
We decided to visit the South Street Seaport today. It's nice to stay close to the water in this beautiful weather. Even though as I guessed 4 and 5 trains are not running right, and we had to transfer twice. Anyhow, I've been here only once, it was a cold winter day. This whole area is turned into a big shopping attraction for tourist. All the fish market has closed down and moved to the Bronx. There are many yellow taxi boats to take to you the other side, under the Brooklyn bridge. I was pretty overwhelmed by how many people there were. We bought our lunch in Sunnyside at our favorite Irish joint. The view is great, here is my attempt of semi-panoramic view by my digital camera.

I was getting pretty dizzy. Endless stores, endless tourists and their families, what a Saturday that was. When you go there, you feel like you are on vacation. It's very relaxed and festive. We walked up to Union Square from there, it was a long walk. By the time you know it was getting pretty dark. Then we decided to go back down to St. Marks Place to eat something at JAS Mart. It was a long day, but a nice day to walk around.

Itchy Bitchy Spider.

Spider. One of the major things I despise in life. Spider-man. I never really paid much attention to it. I know what Spider-man is, but I didn't know what is the story behind it. I just assume that he is like Superman. It's all the same, is what I believed. Later, Louis told me that Spider-man is quite different, he is nothing like Superman. I'm not fond of super hero movies, so I really didn't give enough credit for all other super hero stories. I don't know if the original comic book story of the Spider-man differs from the movie, but Spider-man is actually a young high school geek, who gets bit by a special spider. The first Spider-man movie is a story of how Peter Baker, (who just graduated high school in Forrest Hills, Queens) became Spider-man and realize that "great power comes with great responsibility."

Another surprise about this movie was the first, the very first scene, where it shows our neighborhood. Our street, where we live. I was looking at the 7 train and thinking, hey this looks very familiar...Then I realize that is where we live, Sunnyside. Unlike Superman, Peter Baker is a human being, who is not invincible and all mighty. He makes mistakes and enjoy and understand his new abilities as he realize he can use this power to save others. I think that's what makes Spider-man different from Superman.

This movie was much more than what I had in mind. Some of the CG effects looked like it came from game console...Plus, $3.99 for this brand new DVD was an offer I cannot refuse. We also bought Spider-man 2, and I think Spider-man 3 is coming out in movie theaters soon. Well, I still like MEN IN BLACK better. There are rumors that they are going to make MIB 3 but it's not for sure. I'm still not in love with super hero movies, but it was a fun movie to watch and I'm glad I give it a try.

My Little Pony doesn't play Polo.

Not Polo. Play Rugby anyone?
Welcome to the fashionable world of RUGBY for men and women. RUGBY is Ralph Lauren's casual line for college students out there. Conveniently located on University's place around NYU, just opened December last year.

This was very unexpected for me to see RL's logo with skull, crown and customizable jacket with patches. Pretty edgy, yet proper. Men's section is very colorful with patchwork jackets and other pin-stripe long sleeve shirts, they also have simple suits and jackets. For women, leather knee cut pants, very semi-punk-ish to girlish designs. Also fitting room is so cute and original. RUGBY is in-store only. You can't buy from polo.com, which is RL's online store. You can find other location for RUGBY from RUGBY.COM

Ties and scarves which are made in England start from $68 and up, but don't worry jackets and others are made somewhere else, so it is bit cheaper. Not that cheap but, not extremely expensive. Some design are unique and it's unusual for Ralph Lauren's clothing. I guess they are aiming for the abercromibie and fitch kind of consumers. They are quite similar, I think. Maybe RUGBY is a bit more colorful and loud. Perfect for anti-conservative folks. Well it is a fun store to visit so drop by when you are close by.