Tiger Unleashed

Only the latest, greatest OS release



6:00 last night was the was the release of "Tiger", Apple's OS X version 10.4. For non-Apple aficionados, this probably means absolutely nothing.

But for me and a surprisingly large number of Apple fans, this was a biggie, and the line winding around the mall level outside the Apple Store at Ala Moana Shopping Center attested to that.

Eye candy aside (of the oooh variety, really!), the 200+ new features have to be experienced to be fully appreciated. I suggest you stop by the Apple Store and check it out for yourself. I don't know if there will be as many Apple employees at your beck and call as there were last night, but even if you have to wait a bit for one to help you, it will be worth it. They were all very enthusiastic and seemed more knowledgeable than at other times I've been there. They were definitely perky and the store was like one huge party.

Everyone who entered the store was a "winner", meaning the scratch card we were each given was worth something. Mine was a 10% discount on anything purchased that night, but useless to me since I wasn't there to buy anything (got everything Mac-related I need for now). My friends got cards for a free iTunes song each, and even after I showed them what that was, they weren't interested, so I scored theirs. I gave my 10% discount card to a couple who had just walked in and hadn't scratched their card yet. The husband thanked me for the card because he was thinking of making a purchase, and the wife scratched theirs to reveal that they had won an iPod Shuffle! She didn't seem too thrilled (I told her she was supposed to jump up and down and scream), and her husband explained that it was because she didn't know what a Shuffle was. wow.

Pre-ordered my copy a while ago and installed on a 17" G5 iMac this morning. Purrrty. Won't be installing it on my older laptop 'til others do first, tho (go for it, Willy!).

I've always wondered why the average person would intentionally choose to suffer with Windows. Oh, yeah, because it's pre-installed on every PC clone out there and seems to be cheaper at first blush. I guess if you don't mind spending futile hours (if not days/weeks) trying to rid your computer of spyware and viruses, and installing constant patches to Micro$oft's inherent flaws and vulnerabilities, then I guess it's for you. If you want a safer, more elegant, feature-rich, and definitely more esthetically-pleasing OS and hardware, get a Mac.

Look who did:

Dinosaur Catch & Release Program

Rocky finally caught one today!

By the time I raced over with my camera, Rocky already had the dinosaur in his mouth. Luckily for it, Rocky hardly has any teeth and dropped it when I told him to. The poor dinosaur was stunned and wasn't moving quickly, so Rocky was able to step on it again until I blocked him. Eventually it made its getaway when Rocky was distracted by some nearby grass. He seems to prefer grass over anything else.


view slide show

Shh...

..can you keep a secret?


[04.17.05 entry on PostSecrets]

OK, this isn't a "sighting" per se, but I didn't want to create a new category. I came across a blog site tonite called "PostSecret" here on Blogger/Blogspot. It actually made me gasp.

People anonymously mail in their innermost secrets on a postcard. Some are profound and touching, but the majority seem to be tragic, shocking, and apparently cathartic for the sender.

The postcards themselves are intriguing miniature works of art, but their messages have to be read to be believed. Instructions as to what can be sent:

Each secret can be a regret, belief, experience, fear, betrayal, desire, feeling, confession, or childhood humiliation. Reveal anything--as long as it is true and you have never shared it with anyone before.

I've been thinking what I could write to wrap up this entry, but words elude me. You just have to check it out for yourself.

If you didn't know how old you were..

..How old would you be??

I'd be around 30.

I thought I'd be less, but lately that sounded just too wrong.

Most people I know feel younger than the calendar claims they are. For years now I've said that there must be some clerical error. Sadly, we age faster than we really feel. Some of my same-age friends are at a stage I hope not to be for many years, if not skip the damn thing all together. Yeah, that "M" stage. Still way too early for me, but then, denial has always been my friend.

My other friend is immaturity. I know I'm under its spell. Why else would I pine for BW concerts and other things most of my peers have no interest in? Because I'm fr*cken immature.

I think I was hatched like that. Not having responsibilities that most people do helps, of course.

So how old would you be??

Common Denominator

Well, now that I see 'em in a line up..

Recently, a few celebrity-type guys I've always thought were somewhat (!) interesting have recently had new projects, so I thought about 'em further (a quite enjoyable exercise) and discovered they have definite physical similarities: tall, lean, dark hair, and damn yummy-looking!




Oh, look, it's getting late. I'd better go to sleep..perchance to see 'em in my dreams ;)

What's on your iPod?

Seems everyone has one!

All the rage. Elegant design. iTunes. (Need I say more?)

So why didn't I want one? Let me count the ways:

1. I listen to my stereo at home
   
2. I listen to iTunes on my Mac at home
   
3. I listen to my mp3 player in my new Scion tC coupe (No, not the ugly Kleenex box-shaped Scion xB!)
   

So why did I finally give in and buy one?

1. Special edition U2 iPod
   
2. Coolness factor
   
3. No other good fricken reason
   

Of course, I rarely use it! But back to the subject, tho have several hundred songs mostly organized into playlists according to artist, I basically listen to the same music the rare times I use it: all Butch Walker all the time!

Rocky Goes on a Dinosaur Hunt

But fails...for now

Rocky Raccoon was out on one of his closely-supervised excursions in the yard, and I finally remembered to bring my camera with me. Spotted several dinosaurs, and Rocky spotted this one as well -- from way across the yard. By the time he bounded to the tree it scampered up, with Rocky in semi-lukewarm pursuit. To his credit, Rocky was able to find his way down the tree without much difficulty, but the dinosaur escaped to live another day.

Check out the brief Dinosaur Hunt.

If Rocky had caught it, I would have made him release it. I can't stand when he kills "my" lizards, I don't even like when he flattens the many crickets that manage to find their silly ways into the house. Cockroaches are another story, but those stories are too gross to tell here

A really hot car

Literally

My friend Willy took these pictures as the car unexpectedly burst into flames. He said there was no collision, and fortunately, no one was hurt. I don't have any other details, maybe he'll actually comment to this (hint-hint) and tell us more!





view slide show

I Know Why We Have So Many Dinosaurs in the Yard!

They have absolutely no shame -- or self-control!

This afternoon I almost stepped on one of those dinosaurs as I was walking out from my parents' home next door (see April 6th's entry if you don't know what they are). I thought it was a youngster because it was smooth and didn't have the dark markings like the one I took pictures of. It didn't seem too afraid of me as I bent to take a closer look. Then I noticed a larger, uglier one about a foot and a half away, who definitely didn't seem to be frightened at all, in fact he blew his dewlap thingie and made threatening head gestures at me.

I thought he didn't like the fact that I was bothering the smooth one and was trying to scare me away. As he took a few steps toward it, I, in my naiveté, thought he was protecting it. Was I wrong!

I spent the next few minutes marveling at the absolute lack of shyness and disregard for this human watching them as he proceeded to climb on HER back and take a tiny little nip on the skin of her neck. I broke them up, but he climbed back on and did it again. He stayed on as she took a couple of steps. Nothing seemed to be happening and I couldn't figure out how he was gonna get any action while on her back, when he suddenly thrust (heh) one leg under hers and angled himself so he could..reach ;)

I didn't think it was right to break 'em up again, so I tried to get a better look (never saw a lizard's lizard before), but couldn't see anything even tho I was just a couple of inches away from them as they seemed frozen in place. Then, barely after he finally got down to business, they shook themselves loose and went separate ways.

I went back in to tell my parents what I'd witnessed, and when I came out, there he was, back at the spot I first saw him. Probably waiting for his next quickie.

No wonder we have so many dinosaurs in the yard: they don't care to get a room (or get out of the way) even when some rude human repeatedly tries to shoo them apart. When the urge hits, I guess it doesn't matter who's around, and by the looks on that guy's face as he was waiting for his next date, the urge probably hits often!

Dinosaurs in the Yard

Seemingly hundreds of them!

I love lizards (and snakes), and I miss our green anole lizards we in Hawaii call 'chameleons' because of their ability to change from green to brown to blackish. They are sleek and beautiful (IMO), and have become an endangered species, at least in some yards here.

An uglier anole-like species has invaded the calm and eaten most of them up!! I can't walk through the yard without hearing rustling and seeing them run, climb, jump, and scatter about. I've even witnessed them in gangs, like mini 'raptors from Jurassic Park.

The other day one was perched on a vertical pipe about 4.5 feet in height, with its feet and toes together, head held up, as if on alert like a meerkat sentry. That would've made for a great Kodak moment, but by the time I ran back in to get my camera, it had stepped down from its perch, but remained alert (and at an interesting angle, as you'll see in the pictures). These lizards don't have much fear, and this guy stuck around while I snapped pictures of him. He did show his irritation by displaying his red-orange dewlap (flappy-thing under his throat) a few times.

They seem pretty bold, and have multiplied so that just about everywhere you turn in the yard you see one. So far they haven't come into our houses like the geckos do, but it's probably just a matter of time until they knock on the door (or knock down the door), demanding to be let in. I think with their numbers and fearlessness, they're bound to take over the yard, if not the world!

Here are more pictures of the guy perched on a pipe in our yard.

YAB (Yet Another Blog)

I've been keeping a blog on my own site, but thought I'd see what Blogger is like. I just created a Flickr account which supports Blogger, so I'm gonna fiddle with them and decide which blog site to keep. Flickr probably works with the blogging program I use (iBlog), but maybe not as easily..?

In the meantime, pls visit my site called Talkin' To Myself for photos, cat stuff, rants, humor, and even Gmail freebies.

Hey, I just noticed that there doesn't seem to be a setting to create categories. Or maybe I overlooked that. Need to spend a little more time with this, but it sure seems simple!