The answer is 42

Corrected 4:50 PM to get the time the widget goes live right...

Been awhile.. been busy... so I thought, what with election night coming up tomorrow and all, I would give you something else to keep an eye on: This cool little widget that will show you results as they are declared..



Starting at 4 PM Pacific (whatever) Time, the countdown timer will be replaced by a map. As the evening rolls on, the colors will start to fill in and we will see if we are a Red Country (not to be confused with a Red State, such as the USSR was...), or Blue.

There is also some great charts and predictions on fivethirtyeight.com. They are fun to look at and the guy (Nate Silver, who has corresponded for MSNBC and will be working with Dan Rather on HDNET come ballot countin' time) seems up on his game.

Enjoy!!

If you want to spice up your morning, here's a gadget for you:



It's caled a Zuse and it's by Inseq Design in Austria. When you place a piece of bread in it, an optical sensor recognises it, and then prints a 12x12 dot matrix-style image on your toast. Here is what Brian Krepshaw at the CNET Crave Blog said about it:

"Is it art? Is it a toaster? I'm not really sure, but I do know I like it. The fact that we soon may be able to find out what a Space Invader (I think that's what that is) tastes like has got to be worth something."

Ok, so this is probably for those of you out there with kids, but for those of us who used to acutally use dot matrix printers, it's kinda nostalgic, too...

... but Microsoft wants to help. So, they have put together a book that you can share with the wee tykes about what a home server is, does, and how it can help them.

http://www.stayathomeserver.com/book.aspx

It's funny and informative!

And once you're done with that, you can download the coloring book from Non Toxic Review.com about HDTV, with your host Heidi, the HD Hippo.



Click the coloring book cover to get to the pdf file, or click here.

We never had it so good growing up!!

Now, this isn't a generic 'I hate police' or 'I hate constuction' rant.. I'm going to be very specific...

Monday evening, I was on my way home from an outdoor soccer game. After picking up Haley from my parents house, I begin what Google Maps, Mapquest, and other route-giving websites say is the fastest way from their house (in the Stafford Area of the Portland Metro Area) to my house (in the Salmon Creek area of Vancouver): I-5 North.

When coming past Hwy 217, I see the first sign: 'Accident I5 Northbound AT Lombard. All lanes blocked. Washington Traffic use I84 East to I205 North.' (my emphasis on 'AT') The 'at' part is the thing that is the problem here...

I think 'At Lombard, no problem.. just hop off at the Greely exit past the Rose Quarter, take Greely to R on Lombard to L on Denver, which becomes Interstate, and back onto I5 North, about 3/4 mile past where the accident is said to be. Cool.' None of this 25 miles out of my way stuff to get home.

All is going according to plan, until we get to the 'back onto I5 North' part... the on ramp at Interstate is being blocked by the cops. Ok, it had been raining pretty good most of the evening, and perhaps the tunnel is flooded or something.. just pop down the offramp toward East Delta Park and get on the freeway on that side. Nope. Another of Portland's finest blocking that on ramp, too.. but in looking up the on ramp, there are ODOT trucks with yellow flashy lights just past the tunnel, so again, it could be having a problem down there... no worries...

Around East Delta Park past the Joe's, up to Marine to get on I5 North just past the Expo Center... only to find a long line of traffice there, as well.. why? Because the accident is actually up at Jantzen Beach, not Lombard... all manner of emergency vehicles from fire trucks to police to ODOT Commet trucks to ambulances and perhaps the coast guard are all over the freeway...

Now I GET to travel down Marine Drive past the airport to take I205 North.. a scary drive when it's daylight and dry, nevermind pitch black out and wet on the roadway...

I know, I know.. just do what the sign said, right? They're never right, though... and this is further proof. If they would only have given even close to a correct location of the wreck, or changed the wording to more precisely say 'Accident I5 Northbound, CLOSED at Lombard' I would have gladly gone across town on the Banfield.

As Dennis Miller used to say, 'I don't want to get off on a rant here, but...'

:-)

While searching through an old friends blog I came across and old link to a Super Villain poll, which still worked. So, I took the quiz and... Your results:
You are Dr. Doom

Dr. Doom 54% Lex Luthor 51% Apocalypse 51% The Joker 51% Magneto 48% Mystique 45% Riddler 44% Green Goblin 41% Juggernaut 41% Catwoman 39% Mr. Freeze 37% Venom 37% Kingpin 37% Dark Phoenix 35% Poison Ivy 28% Two-Face 17%

Blessed with smarts and power but burdened by vanity.

Click here to take the "Which Super Villain am I?" quiz...
Admittedly, it is a weak match.. I mean, only 54%? I guess I'm not that much of a Super Villain..