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Articles

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Election 2012
Saturday, 2012 November 17 - 11:56 am
With Obama's re-election two weeks in the rear-view mirror, there's been a lot of soul-searching and hand-wringing in the Republican party lately. Obviously most of the pundits have already weighed in on this topic, but I wanted to add my take on what happened in the election, what's in store for the Republican party, and what we might see in 2016.

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Posted by Ken in: politics

College Football Week Something Something
Saturday, 2012 November 17 - 10:53 am
Okay... I fully realize that I failed to post my usual college football recaps and previews for the past couple of weeks, and for my two readers that look for those things, I apologize. Let's sum up a bit.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 9 Preview
Friday, 2012 October 26 - 10:08 pm
Michigan plays a key divisional game at Nebraska; N.C. State takes on its biggest rival, UNC.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 8 Recap
Sunday, 2012 October 21 - 12:11 pm
Well, that was quite a heart-attack inducing day. Michigan and N.C. State both pull off last-minute field goals to win their respective games 12-10 and 20-18.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 8 Preview
Wednesday, 2012 October 17 - 1:36 pm
Michigan plays Moo U (er, Michigan State); N.C. State plays Maryland.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

Apple Watch: Media Event for October 23rd
Tuesday, 2012 October 16 - 12:53 pm


Apple has sent out a media invitation for October 23rd. This is 99% sure to be an iPad mini announcement, but we may get a new Retina MacBook Pro 13" announcement too... that would fit with the "a little more" theme.

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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

College Football 2012: Week 7 Recap
Sunday, 2012 October 14 - 12:49 pm
Hey look! A Sunday update for a change! Michigan wins easily; N.C. State rests.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 6 Recap and Week 7 Preview
Saturday, 2012 October 13 - 11:40 am
Michigan and N.C. State are both building off important wins from last week.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 5 Recap and Week 6 Preview
Saturday, 2012 October 6 - 10:58 am
Yeah, I'm late again... combining this week's articles into one. Michigan is coming off a bye and will play Purdue; N.C. State loses a tough one to Miami FL and now has to face #3 Florida State.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 5 Preview
Saturday, 2012 September 29 - 10:52 am
Michigan is on a bye; N.C. State plays Miami (FL).

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 4 Recap
Saturday, 2012 September 29 - 10:44 am
Michigan loses in ugly fashion to Notre Dame; N.C. State rolls. This is way late, I know, but I've been depressed about last week's result.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

Apple Watch: The iPhone 5
Saturday, 2012 September 22 - 11:28 am
So no, I don't have the iPhone 5. But news and reviews have been flooding in.

By all accounts, it's another marvel of engineering. It's taller but thinner and lighter; the screen looks amazing; the camera is best-in-class. It's significantly faster than the 4S. It includes 4G LTE without sacrificing battery life.

Of course there have been the usual array of complaints that Apple has not introduced any radical new features. Prior to its introduction we saw plenty of guesses about gimmicky features, like a laser-based virtual keyboard. Uh, no. What we should know about Apple by now is that they usually don't try to make radical changes within an existing product category; their innovation comes when they introduce new product categories. For existing products, Apple's process is to refine them and make them simply the best in their category.

The most noticeable omission is NFC, which was much-rumored. But I think Apple is concerned that it's a technology looking for an application; there simply isn't a widespread retail ecosystem for NFC, and there are other ways to accomplish point-of-sale solutions. I'm not saying the idea is dead; I just think Apple has other priorities.

Sales have been brisk, to say the least. Estimates are that three days of pre-orders have surpassed the monthly sales record for the 4S.

Now, there are emerging reports that the anodized aluminum finish on the black model is scuff-prone, with some people complaining that it is scuffed right out of the box. I find it strange Apple would have allowed that kind of thing to escape their design and testing processes... let's hope Apple has an answer for that soon.

Finally, a note about the new Maps app, which is an iOS 6 thing, not just an iPhone 5 thing. There's lots of criticism that it's inferior to the Google-based app it replaces, and those criticisms are well-founded. But Apple has no interest in continuing to feed precious customer location data to its biggest rival, and I think they're willing to suffer through the early criticism to get the business decision done. And to be sure, the problems with Maps are fixable; in fact, to some degree, you have to get Maps out to the public just to find where all the problems are. It's doubtful that Apple is devoting hundreds of engineers to pore over every inch of map data in the entire world.
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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

College Football 2012: Week 4 Preview
Saturday, 2012 September 22 - 10:57 am
Michigan has another big night game against Notre Dame; N.C. State has another cupcake game against Citadel.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 3 Recap
Sunday, 2012 September 16 - 2:14 pm
Michigan and N.C. State win their cupcake games handily; some surprises nationally.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 3 Preview
Saturday, 2012 September 15 - 11:44 am
It's cupcake weekend for Michigan and N.C. State.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 2 Recap
Sunday, 2012 September 9 - 9:25 pm
Better. A win is a win.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 2 Preview
Saturday, 2012 September 8 - 12:13 am
Let's hope this weekend is better than the last.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football 2012: Week 1 Recap
Monday, 2012 September 3 - 2:09 pm
Not a good start for our teams.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

Apple Watch: Apple Wins $1 Billion Verdict Vs. Samsung
Sunday, 2012 August 26 - 1:29 pm
On Friday, a 9-person jury returned a verdict in favor of Apple to the tune of $1.05 billion in a closely-watched patent infringement trial against rival Samsung.

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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

College Football 2012: Week 1 Preview
Sunday, 2012 August 26 - 1:07 pm
FOOTBAWWWWWWWW.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

Apple Watch: Fall Predictions
Thursday, 2012 August 9 - 10:04 pm
I usually wait until New Year's Day to make predictions, but I think there's a lot coming in the near future. Here's what I think will happen this fall.

New iPhone: 99% likely. Apple will stick to their yearly cycle and put out a phone with a taller display, 4G LTE, NFC, and a new dock connector. The rumor sites are all over the leaks from China, and I think they'll prove to be right.

iPad Mini: 75% likely. The tea leaves point in this direction... something like an 8" screen and a $300 price tag, to help reduce the "umbrella" for lower-priced products like the Kindle Fire. It makes too much sense not to be true.

New iMac: 75% likely. It's overdue for an upgrade and it remains Apple's primary desktop product. Apple won't cede the desktop market yet, especially with Windows PC manufacturers struggling so badly.

New iPods: 65% likely. It's a declining market but still important for Apple. I can see a shakeup in the lineup to help keep it relevant for the holidays.

13" Retina MacBook Pro: 55% likely. My gut says Apple wanted to have this out at the same time the 15" version came out, but supply chain constraints nixed that idea.

New Mac mini: 40% likely. It's a good entry-level product and in need of an update, but I can't help but think Apple eventually wants to do something else for the low-end market.

New Mac Pro: 20% likely. It's even more overdue for an update, but it's more of a niche product. I think a radical overhaul is coming in 2013, to replace both the existing Pro and the obsolete Server machine. Maybe a modular solution is coming.

Apple-branded television set: 20% likely. It's still churning around the rumor mill, but I think it's a ways out. A software update to the existing AppleTV to allow third-party apps seems like a likely short-term upgrade.



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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

Movies: The Dark Knight Rises
Thursday, 2012 July 19 - 10:49 pm
I was fortunate enough to get to see an early screening of "The Dark Knight Rises", so I figure this is a perfect time to bring back movie reviews to this blog. Chris Nolan's final (well, presumed final, I guess) interpretation of "Batman" has been heavily hyped and anticipated. Hopefully this review will actually be helpful to people thinking of seeing the movie.

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Posted by Ken in: movies

Affordable Care Act Upheld by Supreme Court
Saturday, 2012 July 7 - 2:55 pm
Continuing in my three-part series of "things that were news weeks ago but I'm only just now getting around to commenting on", the Supreme Court last week upheld the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare") in a 5-4 decision, with Chief Justice Roberts being the surprise deciding vote.

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Posted by Ken in: politics

Google I/O News
Saturday, 2012 July 7 - 1:49 pm
You know, I have mixed feelings about Google. On the one hand, they've proven to be an innovative company that puts out lots of great ideas and products. On the other hand, they put out Android with the grandiose notion that there should be an "open" mobile operating system (but in the end, it turns out they were really just out to make money like any other company, and the way they got there was by pulling a Microsoft and slavishly copying Apple's iPhone feature-for-feature). And then there's the fact that we, the public, are not Google's customers... we are the product, with reams of our personal data being sold off to web advertisers for the purposes of extracting money from our pockets.

With that rant aside, let's talk about some of Google's new announcements. The big blockbusters: Google Glass, and Google Now.

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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

Apple Watch: WWDC 2012
Saturday, 2012 July 7 - 1:09 pm
On Facebook a few weeks back, I had promised to post a full blog entry about the latest Apple news from the WWDC. Well, various vacations and things intervened and I never got around to it. I do feel a little guilty that I don't blog the way I used to, but like for so many other people, short-form status updates on Facebook and Twitter have largely supplanted long-form blog posts for me.

But still, I did want to talk about the new MacBooks and iOS 6. Read on for all of my observations.

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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

Shame
Wednesday, 2012 May 9 - 12:42 am
My favorite quote from "Broadcast News":
Paul Moore: It must be nice to always believe you know better, to always think you're the smartest person in the room.

Jane Craig: No. It's awful.

Last night I was up until about 2:00 a.m., debating with someone I didn't know, about the North Carolina marriage amendment, on Facebook.

Ugh.

Those of you who know me know this: I generally try not to assert superiority over anyone. I do not like stereotypes, and the stereotype of the "smart Asian" makes me cringe.

But: when someone who may or may not have completed high school, and whose career now reads "trainee at a Pepsi plant", tries to tell me that they have a deeper knowledge of constitutional law, theology, economics, and public policy than I do... frankly, I'm offended. I have read the entire Bible several times over and have delved into many passages in the original Hebrew and Greek. I have studied the Constitution and a hundred Supreme Court decisions, and I can recite to you most of the various decisions that support the Establishment Clause and the Incorporation Doctrine. I've studied Keynesian economics and neoclassical criticisms. Also I know a large variety of Internet memes, Urban Dictionary terms, and funny cat videos.

So you know what? When you assert that Obama will ruin the country, and that China owns the U.S., and that God will judge homosexuals... you do not impress me. When you assert that liberals will take away your freedoms and force you to give up your private health insurance and force your church to marry gays... I tell you this: YOU, MR. WHITE PROTESTANT, HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO HAVE YOUR RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY.

Maybe that's all that it is... you have to have been the victim of discrimination, hatred, and bigotry to appreciate its harmful effects. Or, you have to be one of my enlightened and beautiful friends, apparently.

Today North Carolina voted to amend its Constitution with a horrific amendment that institutionalizes bigotry and discrimination. I am ashamed and embarrassed to live in this state. But as long as I live here I will fight this shamefulness.

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Don't be the last one. Stand up and fight.
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Posted by Ken in: commentarypolitics

Security
Sunday, 2012 February 5 - 3:46 pm
Amy's wallet was lost or stolen last week, when we were out at a douchey nightclub downtown (we didn't even want to be there, but got roped into it). In the wallet were a driver's license, a credit card, a bank card, and her social security card. Yeah, we know, no one should carry their social security card around with them, but an employer said they needed to see it. (They don't, by the way; the SSN can be verified by employers online.)

Anyway, that got me thinking about the antiquated mechanisms we have for identity security.

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Posted by Ken in: commentarytechwatch

Apple Watch: 2012 Predictions
Monday, 2012 January 2 - 1:39 pm
As is my New Year's tradition for this blog, I've got ten Apple predictions for the year.

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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

College Football Recap: Week 13
Sunday, 2011 November 27 - 12:18 pm
Michigan and N.C. State both win in glorious fashion.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 13 Games to Watch
Friday, 2011 November 25 - 4:11 pm
It's that time again... Michigan plays Ohio State Saturday. N.C. State plays for a bowl bid against Maryland.

Games to Watch on Friday
Ok, the best games of the day are already underway. Iowa is losing to #21 Nebraska on ABC late in the game, 20-0, so I guess you can skip the rest of that one. #8 Houston is up 26-17 on Tulsa; that game is not televised nationally. #1 LSU vs. #3 Arkansas is underway on CBS, and that's this week's Game of the Week. It's 0-0 in the first quarter. If Arkansas wins this one, BCS chaos will ensue.

Games to Watch on Saturday
#15 Michigan plays Ohio State at noon on ABC. That's obviously the Other Game of the Week for us Michigan fans. #13 Georgia plays #23 Georgia Tech on ESPN. At 12:30 N.C. State plays Maryland on ESPN3.com.

At 3:30 #2 Alabama plays #24 Auburn in another big SEC game, on CBS. #5 Virginia Tech plays Virginia on ABC/ESPN2, in another game with potential national title implications. #19 Penn State plays #16 Wisconsin on ESPN to determine the Big Ten Leaders division winner.

At 7:00 Florida State plays Florida in the State of Disappointment bowl, on ESPN2. At 7:45 #17 Clemson plays #12 South Carolina on ESPN. #22 Notre Dame takes on #6 Stanford at 8:00 on ABC.

Michigan Game Prediction: Michigan 27, Ohio State 17. I think this will be a conservatively-played game with running plays outnumbering passing plays by at least two to one. I think that Ohio State goes about 20% on third down conversions, but gets some cheap big-yardage opportunities with Braxton Miller scrambling on busted plays. It'll be uncomfortably close until late in the fourth quarter.

N.C. State Game Prediction: N.C. State 34, Maryland 13. This is an atrocious 2-9 Maryland team, one that lost to Temple 38-7. They somehow scored an upset against Miami FL and managed to keep it close against Clemson, but whatever they did in those games did not prove to be sustainable. I think the Terrapins will struggle to move the ball against the revitalized Wolfpack defense.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Recap: Week 12
Monday, 2011 November 21 - 11:38 pm
Michigan and N.C. State both win over ranked opponents; there are other stunning upsets all across the country.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 12 Games to Watch
Saturday, 2011 November 19 - 10:20 am
#2 Oklahoma State already lost to Iowa State on Friday night. What other upsets are in store?

Games to Watch this Saturday

#18 Michigan plays #16 Nebraska at noon on ESPN. Though Michigan State still controls its own destiny in the Legends division, this game is still important in determining bowl placement for both teams. #17 Wisconsin plays slumping but still dangerous Illinois on ESPN2. BTN2 has Iowa vs. Purdue.

At 3:30, N.C. State plays Clemson on ABC/ESPN. State will need a huge upset to keep its bowl hopes alive. Meanwhile #21 Penn State plays Ohio State on ESPN/ABC in the Scandal Bowl. At 4:00 Notre Dame plays Boston College on NBC in the old rivalry game.

At 7:30 Virginia plays #25 Florida State on ESPN2. Virginia still has a shot of making it to the ACC title game and Florida State does not; but Florida State will be a stiff test for the Cavaliers. At 8:00, ABC is showing either #5 Oklahoma vs. #22 Baylor, or this week's Game of the Week, USC vs #4 Oregon. Oregon is back in the championship hunt after Oklahoma State's loss, and a win over USC would go a long way towards convincing people they're deserving of a rematch against LSU. Meanwhile USC, though ineligible for post-season play due to NCAA sanctions, is quietly having a pretty good year.

Your nightcap game is Cal vs. #9 Stanford on ESPN, and you can expect many replays of that game where Cal scored the winning touchdown as the Stanford marching band was on the field.

Michigan game prediction: Michigan 35, Nebraska 24. Can Michigan put together back-to-back solid games on both sides of the ball? My hope is that Al Borges is done tweaking and has found what works with Michigan's offense. On defense I'm not as concerned, as there has been steady improvement under Greg Mattison. I still think we'll see a few ARGH TACKLE HIM moments and Nebraska will find ways to score, but the Illinois game has given me renewed faith.

N.C. State game prediction: N.C. State 17, Clemson 42. I'm just not seeing a lot to be hopeful about in this game. Clemson's high-powered passing attack will be too much for the Wolfpack defense.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Recap: Week 11
Sunday, 2011 November 13 - 1:43 pm
I go 0-2 in my predictions this week as Michigan wins and N.C. State loses.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 11 Games to Watch
Saturday, 2011 November 12 - 12:21 pm
Games to Watch this Saturday

At noon #19 Nebraska plays at #12 Penn State on ESPN in the Awkward Bowl. If this were an away game for Penn State, the signs in the stands would be brutal. This is the first game for Penn State without Paterno, who has been forced out due to the scandal. Other notable games: #17 Michigan State vs. Iowa on ESPN2, Florida vs. #13 South Carolina on CBS, and #2 Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech on ABC. Each of these teams should be on upset alert today.

At 12:30 N.C. State plays Boston College on ESPN3.com.

At 3:30, #24 Michigan plays Illinois on ESPN/ABC. I'm nervous about this game. Texas A&M plays #14 Kansas State on ABC; TCU plays #5 Boise State on VS, #20 Auburn plays #15 Georgia on CBS, and Miami (FL) plays Florida State on ABC/ESPN.

At 7:45, #3 Alabama plays Mississippi State on ESPN. This is a decent Bulldogs team and Alabama is coming off their LSU hangover, so it might be an interesting game. At 8:00, we've got this week's clear Game of the Week, #7 Oregon vs. #4 Stanford on ABC. Stanford is trying to keep their championship hopes alive, but this game will be a stiff test. I think it'll be a shootout, and that Oregon will come out the winner.

Michigan game prediction: Michigan 10, Illinois 13. I'm concerned about Michigan's ability to move the ball on a legitimately good defense. While Zook will be Zook and will make an inexplicable decision that results in Michigan points, I'm just not confident in Michigan's ability to win on the road here. That being said, I think Michigan's defense will play well... it should be a close game. Of course I'm hoping I'm wrong about the outcome.

N.C. State game prediction: N.C. State 31, Boston College 7. This is a woeful BC offense and N.C. State should jump all over them.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Recap: Week 10
Monday, 2011 November 7 - 4:08 pm
Michigan loses to Iowa; N.C. State shuts out UNC.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 10 Games to Watch
Saturday, 2011 November 5 - 4:56 am
Games to Watch this Saturday

#15 Michigan plays Iowa at noon on ESPN. N.C. State plays UNC at 12:30 on ESPN3.com.

At 3:30 we get #6 Oklahoma against Texas A&M on ABC and #10 Nebraska against Northwestern on BTN.

At 7:15 #7 Arkansas plays #9 South Carolina on ESPN. But the Game of the Week is obviously #1 LSU vs. #2 Alabama on CBS at 8:00. ABC has regional coverage of either #3 Oklahoma State vs. #14 Kansas State or Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest.

Michigan game prediction: Michigan 28, Iowa 17 thanks to two Michigan interceptions and a run-heavy game on both sides of the ball.

N.C. State game prediction: State 23, UNC 17. It will be a day full of surprises.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Recap: Week 9
Monday, 2011 October 31 - 11:48 pm
Michigan rolls over Purdue; N.C. State gets shutout by Florida State.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 9 Games to Watch
Saturday, 2011 October 29 - 11:56 am
Michigan plays Purdue; N.C. State plays Florida State.

Games to Watch on Saturday

#18 Michigan plays Purdue at noon on ESPN2. But even we Michigan fans will be keeping an eye on this week's Game of the Week, #11 Michigan State against #14 Nebraska on ESPN. Meanwhile N.C. State plays Florida State on ESPNU... looks like I'll have a lot of split-screening going on to watch all these games.

At 3:30 we get #9 Oklahoma against #8 Kansas State on ESPN. That would have been Game of the Week if I cared more about the Big 12. Meanwhile there's Illinois vs. #19 Penn State on ABC/ESPN2. The game formerly known as the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, Florida vs. #22 Georgia, is on CBS. This game still has relevance even if both teams are slightly down this year. Navy plays Notre Dame on NBC; we'll see if Navy still has ND's number. Wake Forest against UNC on ESPNU might be a good game too.

Your primetime slate has #5 Clemson vs. Georgia Tech or #6 Stanford vs. USC (regional coverage, sigh), as well as #15 Wisconsin against Ohio State. All of these should be fun to watch.

Michigan Game Prediction: Michigan 38, Purdue 28. Purdue's defense looked good against Illinois but I'm hoping Michigan figures out that they need to run away from Purdue's talented nose tackle Kawaan Short and instead attacks the edge against Gerald Gooden, a 235-pound defensive end, or Ryan Russell, a redshirt freshman playing at the other DE spot. Meanwhile on defense I think Michigan's defensive line may struggle a bit, but Mattison will stack the box against the run and force Purdue to try to pass. There'll be a breakdown or two and Purdue will score some points, but I think Michigan maintains a lead for most of the game.

N.C. State Game Prediction: N.C. State 31, Florida State 34. Ugh. It's hard to pick against the Wolfpack in this one because N.C. State has been improving and Florida State isn't as formidable as people thought they'd be. But N.C. State has struggled to defend the pass and that's FSU's strength. With FSU playing at home, I think NCSU falls just short. Hopefully this will be a jinx though.

I'm 13-1 in predictions, by the way, with my only miss being the Michigan-MSU game.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

What Has America Become?
Thursday, 2011 October 27 - 9:30 pm
There's a letter that appeared in a newspaper about a year ago, and it's been making the rounds on Facebook and the Internets again lately. It's attributed to someone named Ken Huber, and I'm going to post it in its entirety. I'm posting it not because I agree with it in the least; I'm posting it to expose it for the right-wing whiny bullshit that it is.

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Posted by Ken in: politics

Steve Jobs: I Finally Cracked It
Monday, 2011 October 24 - 11:45 pm
Much is being made of a cryptic quote from Steve Jobs in the biography written by Walter Isaacson being released tomorrow:

"I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use," [Steve Jobs] told me. "It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud." No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. "It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it."

Taking on the cable and satellite companies would be Apple's biggest undertaking since taking on the music industry with iTunes. (Look how that turned out, eh?) The three major hurdles for Apple:
  • The cable companies are entrenched, with long-term deals with content providers and a presence in almost every living room in the country.
  • Cable companies also provide broadband internet access for a lot of their subscribers, and they could make it tough for customers to unbundle the two services.
  • Content providers will be leery of handing control over to Apple after seeing how much control Apple gained over the music industry.
But then, look at what Apple has going for it:
  • Both content providers and customers, by and large, hate cable and satellite companies. With the never-ending rate hikes, shoddy hardware products, abysmal software interfaces, and poor customer service, customers are fed-up. Meanwhile content providers are sick of being held hostage whenever contracts are up for re-negotiation, and might prefer selling content directly to the customers.
  • Apple has a track record of making complex and poorly-designed products simpler and more appealing to consumers, and customers generally trust and like Apple products.
  • There is already a trend towards cord-cutting and Internet-available content, and it just needs a spark and a cohesive strategy to pull it together. Apple is exactly the kind of company that can provide those things.

The fact that cable companies control Internet access... that's a tough one; unless, Apple has an answer for that too, in the form of ubiquitous WiFi, a nationwide LTE network, or a partnership with a company who can provide that. Here's a super-crazy theory... what if Apple partnered with their biggest current rival to make that happen? A rival whose interests in this area perfectly align with Apple's? A rival who has been active in blanketing cities with Internet access?

What if Apple teamed up with Google to take down the cable industry?

Maybe that's a stretch. But it would be utterly breathtaking. I would love to see the look on the faces of Time Warner executives on the day something like that was announced.
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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

Apple Speed-Bumps Macbook Pros
Monday, 2011 October 24 - 11:03 pm
Apple introduced "new" Macbook Pro models today, though the changes are so minor you might wonder why they bothered. Essentially all the models got a slight speed and storage bump but otherwise the specs are unchanged. I wonder what's next for the Mac line as a whole; Apple seems to be treating the product category as mature and not in need of major improvements. Given the post-PC era they're clearly promoting, maybe we've already seen the last of splashy new Mac models.
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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

College Football Recap: Week 8
Monday, 2011 October 24 - 10:59 pm
Michigan was idle; N.C. State gets a solid ACC win; several big upsets among top teams.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 8 Games to Watch
Saturday, 2011 October 22 - 11:02 am
Sorry, I know I'm late with this week's installment. Michigan is idle this week; N.C. State plays Virginia.

Games to Watch on Saturday

At noon, your best bet looks to be UNC vs. #7 Clemson on ESPN. #23 Illinois plays Purdue on ESPN2, and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see an upset here. The rest of the early games are kind of yawners.

At 3:30 PM, the N.C. State game against Virginia is on ESPNU. #1 LSU plays #20 Auburn in a big SEC game on CBS, though Auburn is struggling a bit and LSU has looked dominant. #22 Georgia Tech plays Miami (FL) on ESPN.

At 7:00, #21 Penn State plays Northwestern on BTN in an intriguing matchup... Penn State's defense has looked very good but the offense has looked terrible, and with NWU it's largely the other way around. At 7:30 USC plays Notre Dame on NBC; that game is always entertaining.

At 8:00 this week's Game of the Week is on ESPN with #6 Wisconsin taking on #16 Unnecessary Roughness University... er, Michigan State, that is. MSU's defensive end William Gholston is suspended for this game due to his dirty play against Michigan, so Wisconsin benefits from Michigan's misfortune, whee. #25 Washington is having a surprisingly good year; they play #8 Stanford on ABC.

N.C. State Game Prediction: Virginia's a hard team to figure out; they've squeaked by with narrow wins against awful teams (overtime against 1-6 Idaho? WTF?) but then last week they found a way to beat Georgia Tech. They've racked up plenty of yards on opponents only to squander the scoring opportunities. Will those mistakes continue against N.C. State? Signs point to yes. I like the Wolfpack in a mild upset and a high-scoring game: N.C. State 42, Virginia 37.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Recap: Week 7
Monday, 2011 October 17 - 11:14 pm
Michigan State wins dirty over Michigan; N.C. State was idle.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 7 Games to Watch
Saturday, 2011 October 15 - 3:21 am
Michigan has a big game against Michigan State; N.C. State is idle.

Games to Watch on Saturday

At noon, obviously the UM-MSU game is the game to watch, and this week's Game of the Week; it's on ESPN. #11 Michigan is 6-0 and #23 Michigan State is 4-1; this game is crucial in the Big Ten Legends division, and it's the last chance for Michigan's seniors to get a win against the Spartans. Oh sure, you could watch #20 Baylor play #21 Texas A&M on FX, but you won't unless you live in Texas. There are several other games involving teams who have something to prove: Penn State playing Purdue on BTN, North Carolina playing Miami FL on ESPN3.com (WRAL locally), and #15 South Carolina playing Mississippi State on the SEC Network (WNCN's alternate feed, if you get it). Oh, ESPN2 has Indiana against Wisconsin; the only question in that game is whether Wisconsin will score more than 70.

At 3:00 Florida State plays Duke on ESPN3.com. Heather Dinich at ESPN called this one an upset win for Duke, but I doubt it. At 3:30, your best bet is probably #6 Oklahoma State against #22 Texas on ABC/ESPN, an important Big 12 game. #1 LSU plays Tennessee on CBS, but Tennessee football just isn't very exciting these days. Ohio State plays #16 Illinois on ABC/ESPN; Ohio State is suffering badly lately but this one might be stay pretty close, as I'm sure Ron Zook will find a way to screw things up.

6:30 brings us Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest on ESPN3.com. This should be an interesting game; I think Wake Forest is for real this year, and VT is vulnerable. Florida plays #24 Auburn on ESPN at 7:00; Northwestern plays Iowa on BTN.

ABC is choosing to air NASCAR instead of football in primetime, so the evening matchups are not spectacular. If you wait until 10:15, you can watch #9 Oregon playing #18 Arizona State on ESPN in a key Pac-12 game.

Michigan Game Prediction: Michigan 24, Michigan State 17. This game is extremely hard to predict, but this game always comes down to rushing, and Michigan has the edge in that department this year. I think Denard Robinson will be careful to avoid interceptions, that MSU will have trouble establishing a running game, and the Michigan defense will get two sacks and two interceptions. I also think Kirk Cousins will pass for over 250 yards, with over 100 going to B.J. Cunningham. But in the end, barring major mistakes, Michigan should be able to churn out a victory. Some may point to MSU's highly-rated defense, but that defense has racked up statistics against inferior competition to date. MSU may be the best defense Michigan has faced, but Michigan is the best offense MSU has faced too. It'll be a great matchup.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

Dennis Ritchie
Thursday, 2011 October 13 - 12:02 am
class dennis_ritchie {
public:
dennis_ritchie() { create_c_language(); create_unix(); }
~dennis_ritchie() { rest_in_peace(); }
};
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Posted by Ken in: techwatch

College Football Recap: Week 6
Monday, 2011 October 10 - 11:49 pm
Michigan rallies to beat Northwestern; N.C. State holds off Central Michigan.

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Posted by Ken in: sports

College Football Week 6 Games to Watch
Friday, 2011 October 7 - 10:16 pm
Michigan plays another night game; N.C. State tries to regain its footing against Central Michigan.

Games to watch on Saturday

At noon, we start right off with this week's Game of the Week, as #3 Oklahoma takes on #11 Texas on ABC. I'm not sold on Texas yet, but maybe they'll keep this one close for a while. At least I hope so, because there aren't many other compelling matchups at noon... the Minnesota-Purdue kitten fight on ESPN? Florida State vs. Wake Forest on ESPN3.com? Eh.

At 3:30 N.C. State plays Central Michigan on ESPN3.com. We get #17 Florida against #1 LSU on CBS... this game doesn't quite have the luster it once had. Miami FL takes on #21 Virginia Tech in the race to avoid going 0-2 in the ACC; that's on ABC/ESPN. Iowa plays Penn State on ABC/ESPN; that might be one to keep an eye on as both teams are struggling to prove their legitimacy.

At 7:00 #12 Michigan travels to Northwestern; that game is on BTN. #10 Arkansas plays #15 Auburn on ESPN; I feel like I should care about that game but I kinda don't.

At 8:00 Ohio State plays #14 Nebraska on ABC. A few months ago most probably thought this would be the game of the year; now we'll see if Ohio State's pathetic offense can score any points at all against Nebraska's recently-exposed defense. Nebraska, it would not hurt my feelings if you stomped Ohio State into the dirt. Just sayin'.

Michigan Game Prediction: Michigan 44, Northwestern 27. I think Northwestern gets a few big plays but they don't have the horses to keep Michigan's running game in check.

N.C. State Game Prediction: N.C. State 27, Central Michigan 10. This game features the #101 rushing offense vs. the #103 rushing offense, but I think State's defense picks up a score off a turnover. I'm not confident at all about this prediction, what with State's inconsistency, but Central Michigan is a pretty terrible team too.
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Posted by Ken in: sports

Restaurant Review: Chuck's
Tuesday, 2011 October 4 - 11:26 pm
Chuck's is one of the newest ventures from acclaimed local chef Ashely Christensen. It features a variety of novel high-end burgers, like "The High and the Valley" with crushed avocado, bacon-onion jam, and blistered red peppers. As a burger aficionado, I was looking forward to the experience.

The restaurant is pretty; it has a retro diner feel to it, with bright red chairs and black tables. You order at the counter and someone brings your food out to you. Unfortunately the initial impression I got from the order-takers was not positive: there was no welcome greeting, only a haughty stare as they waited for me to pick what I wanted. And when I did give my order, there was no acknowledgement or follow-up. I'd expect some basic prompts like "which dipping sauce would you like for your fries?" or "what would you like to drink with your lunch today?", but no, it was just click on the register and then a bunch of glaring. It was off-putting.

As for the food itself, I was severely disappointed. The burger is very finely ground, not quite to paté consistency but certainly more meatloaf-like than burger-like. It had been pressed into a round mold instead of hand-formed. And then the burger came out with no char or sear, as if it had been cooked at far too low a temperature. It seemed almost steamed instead of grilled. And it was severely under-seasoned to boot.

I've heard of others who have had a better experience with the burger quality, but when you're paying $9 for a burger (without fries), it had better be awesome every time. I've also heard of horrific customer service experiences, like diners getting charged for poorly-cooked burgers that they tried to send back. And it is too much to ask to get a properly-sized glass of water, instead of these little four-ounce thimbles that they grudgingly allow you to serve yourself? (Oh, and the sodas are outrageously priced eight-ounce bottles.)

I'm a big fan of Ashley Christensen and the things she's trying to bring to Raleigh. But I can easily think of a dozen places around here that have better burgers and better service at a lower price, including national chains like Ruby Tuesday, Chili's and Applebee's. And that should be embarrassing to a good chef.

I'm hoping they can chalk up the problems to inexperienced staff rather than design, but I'll have to hear a lot of good things about the place before I go back again.

Rating: 1.5 / 5.0
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Posted by Ken in: food

Apple Introduces the iPhone 4S
Tuesday, 2011 October 4 - 11:02 pm
Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage along to introduce the newest iPhone, dubbed the "iPhone 4S". The important new specs: a significantly faster A5 dual-core processor; an 8 megapixel camera with improved sensor and optics (f2.4 aperture!); HD video recording; Siri voice-recognition assistant; dual-mode CDMA and GSM radio; and availability on Sprint as well as AT&T and Verizon.

There seems to be widespread disappointment that Apple didn't announce a radically new iPhone 5. I'm not sure I understand this. Perhaps if Apple had called it an iPhone 5 and given it a new case design, people would have been happier?

I mean honestly, exactly what features do people believe are missing? I guess some people were hoping for a bigger screen, but the cost of that would have been lower pixel density, application compatibility issues, increased power consumption, poorer display quality, or some combination of those factors. LTE? I'd rather not sacrifice the battery life for a network with limited coverage and availability. I personally would have liked to have seen a near-field radio chip, but I can see that the infrastructure isn't there to support it yet. So really, what's missing?

It's an incremental improvement on an already-great phone. It has a best-in-class camera, display, processor, graphics chip, operating system, and application ecosystem. Oh, and there's Siri, which looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie. And still people complain.

The most ridiculous complaints come from people who own the iPhone 4, saying "it's not worth the upgrade". Well you know, most iPhone 4 owners aren't eligible for the carrier-subsidized price yet anyway. No, the 4S is mainly targeted at people like me, who have the 3GS and have been waiting for this upgrade opportunity, or for first-time iPhone buyers who would have bought the 4 this summer if not for the pending upgrade. There's a big pent-up demand, and the iPhone 4S is just what we were waiting for.

I'll be pre-ordering two on Friday.
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Posted by Ken in: techwatch


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