Papercraft!

I like Blizzard. Blizzard games, Blizzard conventions, Blizzard lego sets, hell, even Blizzard kids. But this papercraft thing is pretty cool. If only I had time to mess with it.

Visit the World of Warcraft site for lots of good pics.

Lego banshee - are you listening lego?

Now here's something I would like: blizzard models in lego sets. We've already seen a lego Booty Bay, so why not this beautiful Banshee? Keep up the good work, Matt De Lanoy. And hopefully Lego is paying attention!

What!? a world of warcraft name rocks!

You have to believe it is a shock to me to hear that naming your child after a Warcraft character is frowned upon. I'm shocked upon shocked. I'm a Blizzard geek from way back, and I named my youngest "Furion" after Malfurion, a major Warcraft character, but only his middle name. I guess I get a pass.

Perhaps I will make it it complete and make a statue of him one day.

New update coming for the PSP

It's hard to believe the PSP is up to firmware 5.50, but according to Engadget, this will soon be the case.

It wasn't long ago our company was founded to provide streaming media to the PSP after version 2.00 was introduced which added a web browser. Over time we added support for other platforms including the iPhone and iPod Touch allowing video streaming without having to fill up the device.

Who knows what's next for the PSP. It could be the rumored, remote-controlled car. In the end, as long as it doesn't require overpriced cables or kill you, I'm game. I can't wait to see what else is in store.

80's Christian rock cheese: six, six, six

Yes, we know I'm a geek, but at times I've been a full-blown nerd. Like every time I listen to Six, Six, Six by Degarmo and Key.

I freely admit that a) it's cheesy b) it's in my playlist right now and c) I enjoy it. I can't say why for sure. Perhaps I felt so cool as a nerdy preacher's son listening to rock, or maybe it's the music; I don't know. All I know is that despite the hilarity of the mark of the beast making all numbers six hundred and sixty six, you must check this song out. The video is an equally fun cheesefest.

The reason this is so cheesy is because it's so wrong. The number 666 is not the number, it is a symbol. The Bible says (which is quoted in the beginning of the song), "if any may has wisdom, let him calculate the number of the beast... his number is 666". Why would it say it requires calculation if it just immediately spells it out. The other part of the cheesefest is that everything in the video is 666, but not everything would bear this number. This is way too blatant. The Bible shows these times to be more subtle, deceiving even Christians.

Regardless, it's a great song and a lot of fun. Enjoy.

(Sorry about the video being link only; embedding is not allowed on this one.)

Beauty and talent

Well, if you haven't heard of Susan Boyle by now you have been living under a rock. She blew away the crowd on Britain's Got Talent and it's no surprise.

But I think Tom Bodett had the most accurate take on it. On Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, he states plainly (at 8:07) that our view of glamor brings about prejudice that makes us shocked to see beauty that doesn't fit in the norm. The segment is both funny and soul searching.

Later in the same episode, Paula Dean was on the Not My Job segment and at 9:01 missed the question about the Tofu license plate. If only she had read this blog!

A post from my first mac

This is a post from my first Mac. It is a Mac Mini. VillainousMind sprung for a Mac to facilitate the next Locura Media Server project: developing for the iPhone.

Pretty soon Apple will come out with iPhone SDK 3.0 allowing video streaming to the iPhone and iPod Touch, but the Locura Media Server does that now. And, although it can't control a remote-control car, it does stream music to a PSP.

Overall, I'm excited about learning how to use a Mac but I'm still getting used to it (Apple-V for paste instead of Ctrl V? - and why doesn't home and end work?) So far so good. I can't wait to get the iPhone/iPod Touch apps rolling.

I'm really starting to like southwest airlines

I mean, what's not to love at Southwest? (besides the closet-sized bathrooms, but at least they're not like NASA's.) I was reluctant at first. After all it's air travel, but low prices, frequent flyer promos, and employees that actually seem to enjoy their job: how could I resist? But now, as I sit in the Albany terminal near C3 and see the cushy chairs with plug-ins for computers and USB devices, I can't help but smile.



Sure, the Albany airport and sponsors (thanks Rensselaer Honda) are the ones providing the free wifi, but that's nothing without juice for the computer/electronic recharging stations. I'm simply thankful that some companies get it.

And, as my travel plans will leave me stranded in Albany for a few hours at a time here and there, I can't think of any better way to remain connected. I guess some companies know how to keep it always sunny.

Shoplifting and cameras don't mix

It seems dumb criminals are popping up everywhere (I feel like singing "Old MacDonald" with a dumb criminal here and a dumb criminal there, here a dumb criminal, there a dumb criminal, everywhere a dumb criminal). However, people like these hold a special place it my heart.

It seems that a couple women in Port St. Lucie tried to undercut Walmart... in Walmart by doing some self-checking price reduction. When they were confronted, they ran, leaving behind the goods, and recently developed photos with the name and phone number of one of the plantiffs.

Not a great plan, ladies. I'm sorry to see anyone go to jail, but if you do the crime... Oh, and while you're there, say "hi" to Ted Stevens for me.

Great psp game: real remote-controlled car

A recent patent filing seems to indicate that Sony plans to release a remote-controlled car with a camera for use with the PSP. Having owned a PSP since they launched in North America, I have to say this is a pretty cool use of the system. Of course, I am a bit prejudiced on what is cool, as my company built the popular, powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use media server for the psp (and other platforms and devices such as the iphone and ipod touch) allowing access to PC-based videos and photos and streaming audio.

But enough with the shameless plugs. ;) This remote-controlled car looks very cool, with a camera to boot. Being a true geek, I have built similar devices before with cameras, wireless transmitters, and remote-controlled vehicles, but the patchwork just wasn't all that. I mean, it's not like it was a motorized bar stool or anything.

Hopefully Sony releases this sooner rather than later. Otherwise, what else do I have time to do but shoot my TV?

Clint black & dirty laundry - what was he thinking?

Making subtle suggestions about sex is one thing, but evidently Clint Black wasn't beat up by bullies enough as a kid.

I really can't do a better introduction than Joel McHale but the long and short of it is that Clint thought it a good idea to put adultery, self-satisfaction, and self-depreciation together in a laundry soap ad. It's hilarious, but only because it's so frightening.

At least he's not charging people to eat out of a toilet.

New look on it's way

There are several projects in the hopper here and one is a site redesign for Buffer Urinal. Last year, a new concept for the site was detailed here. The final graphics have come back (thanks to the quality graphic artistry of Travis Oakes) and the site redesign is under way. Soon, there will be a new look, t-shirts, and more urinal discussions than you can shake a stick at (wow is that Freudian).

So enjoy the boring look. It won't last.

I broke the rules

It's somewhat disconcerting to run a blog entitled Buffer Urinal and yet not adhere to the buffer principal. However as I was traveling through Chicago by plane today, I had no choice in the terminal but to take one of the two last buffers or stand and wait like a dumbass. Having great experience at the latter, I decided this time to do the former.

Remember, it's just annoying, it's not a cardinal sin.

Because monster cable belongs in a urinal

It's hard to top what Engadget has said about this. The long and short of it is that Monster Cable has once again turned litigious. First they sued Monster Mini-Golf and now they are suing Monster Transmission. It may not be an extreme abuse of the legal system, but it's close.

With Monster Cable I have felt their cables were overpriced for some time and surveys agree. Time and time again quality demos have been shown to be bogus. It makes you wonder if the lawsuits are the only way they have to stay in business.

If you only do one audio/visual thing this year to make the world a better place: don't buy Monster products. I think they have proven why they chose their name.

A urinal in need of a distance buffer

It's been the tradition here to deal with weird urinal situations, mainly because it's in our name, and since the last post was about something "f'ed" up, I thought it was time to add another. This comes courtesy of the failblog.

Seriously, what were these people thinking? Why not cut out the middle man and just give patrons a bucket? There is something disconcerting about using a urinal only to watch yourself fill up a bucket. At least they can still put in a urinal screen target.

Well, who doesn't love to F me?

OH! You love tofu! My mistake.

At least I wasn't the only one to make this mistake. It seems after a Colorado woman applied for a "ILVTOFU" vanity plate the Division of Motor Vehicles showed their dissaproval on the plate's possible other meaning by rejecting the application .

Look, lady, we all love some pretty crazy things and at least this one won't lead to heart disease, but perhaps the DMV was trying to save you from yourself. You love tofu? That's just crazy.

Slacking for the man

Want to be more productive? Slack off. At least that is the concept behind a recent study in Australia. The theory is that by taking breaks on YouTube and Facebook (or blogging) you unwind a little and are able to better re-focus. The odd thing is this study came out after April Fool's Day.

Well, if I'm going to do this, I'm going to do it right! Toss me a beer and a remote; I'm going to be the best employee this company has ever seen!

What's today?

Well, it's no surprise being that today is the 1st of April, that Blizzard has updates. I've made it quite clear that I'm a geek and a fan boy, and I look quite forward to being the "fool" once a year. So far Blizzard has announced a World of Warcraft PvP Dance Battle system and a StarCraft II unit: the Terra-Tron.

Hopefully there will be more. I can't get enough blizz stuff.

UPDATE: Diablo III now has the Archivist.

But officer, my bar stool was in park

Here's a clue you're drinking too much: you make a motorized bar stool. Then you try to drive it down the street... drunk. Then you crash it... and get charged with drunk driving.

Get help, dude.