Baseball cards have been around for decades. The little pieces are cardboard featuring your favorite players, their stats, and of course, a piece of bubble gum. A once thriving business has  dropped like Rihanna after a right hook from Chris Brow become a shell of it’s former multi billion dollar self. Now thanks to the devil CEO of Disney, Michael Eisner, baseball cards have a new trick up their sleeve. 

Topps will be releasing new baseball cards in which the cards are not just the plain image of the player. If you have a web cam at home, you will be able to hold the card up to the camera to see a 3D image of that player come up. The player doesn’t just stand there either. The image moves around as if it were real and you can even pitch, hit, or catch balls, depending on the player.

GE has teamed with Topps to provide this new 3D technology to the cards. It is called Smart Grid Augmented Reality. 

I’m a former collector and still have a lot of my cards left. But part of the problem with the market was the prices of the cards. It used to cost 1.99 for some nice baseball cards. As the cards got better and companies included things like “Game Used Jersey” swatches and other game used memorabilia, it drove the price of the cards up (some are $8 or more a pack). Now, the game used cards are so over produced, those aren’t as valuable as they used to be. Include the fact too that most cards aren’t worth much to a collector or dealer unless they are “graded“, it makes it even more expensive to get the most from your cards now. 

Topps and GE have a nice new concept to reinvent the card, but unless it’s affordable and properly marketed, these card’s won’t help the business come back.

A recent study has found that 15 percent of Americans have no religion. That number is up from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990. 

The study found that over the last two decades, there have been declines in most of the known religions. Catholics have gone from 43 percent  in 1990 to 36 percent just last year and Jews dropped from 1.8 to 1.2 percent. That last number may not seem too large, but it roughly equals out to about 2.7 million American citizens are currently practicing Judaism. Even Christian believers have dropped going from 86 to 76 percent since 1990. 

It appears that the only group of religious believers to grow, were the non-believers…. If they don’t believe, does that actually count? I can’t explain what is going on, but God and Jesus may want to look into a new PR rep, maybe start marketing themselves more too. Maybe start a new campaign to try and bring in the 12-18 year old demographic. 

Just a thought…… Surprised I haven’t been hit by lightening yet.

So, earlier this week Apple unveiled their iPhone 3.0 firmware that will be released later in the year. I had hoped for some upgrades to the phone that were basic and really should have been part of the firmware back when the phone was originally released 2 years ago. Apple listened to the masses and made the upgrades they really needed to, only to continue to screw people over at the same time.

Now, the iPhone as a whole is a decent phone. It has some great features for sure and it helped to spawn a whole new fad in cellular telephones. But the fact that it didn’t have something so basic as MMS (Multi Media Messaging) pissed me off so much. So, with the coming release of 3.0, Apple has made it known that MMS will be an included upgrade, along with cut and paste (so pointless in my mind. I have no clue why so many people have wanted it.), turn by turn GPS (only provided by 3rd party app makers and their own maps), and some other pointless features.

The thing that really irks me is that MMS will only be available on the 3G iPhone. Perhaps it is my own conspiracy theory but I can only imagine this was done so Apple can sell more 3G phones. I can’t imagine why a phone like the Motorola Razer was able to send MMS when one of it’s big selling points was a color screen. It only makes sense that Apple did this to force those who still have the original iPhone (like myself) to spend the money and upgrade. It’s actions like this, and the over pricing of products that will always make me despise this company.

At this point, my only hope is that when my contract with AT&T is up, the Sprint network will be better and the plans will be affordable so I can get away from this awful phone and company and get myself a Palm Pre.

Fuck You Apple!

In an effort to boost DVD sales, Fox Studios has come up with a new and rather stupid idea. Fox has decided to stop putting extra material on rental versions of their movies and will now only be providing those bonus features when you purchase the movies. 

Now, I am not a big fan of bonus material and all the extra junk that is provided, but I know a lot of people do and at times when I am bored, I will check some of it out. However, I don’t see a lot of people willing to pay the price to get their hands on the deleted scenes, director commentary, and all the other extras that are provided. Fox will be selling their “Premium” DVDs at $29.98 a pop.

Starting on March 31st, the first round of  feature free rentals will include ”Slumdog Millionaire”, “Day the Earth Stood Still”, “The Wrestler”, and “Notorious”.

This idea was hatched and planned due to the 10 percent drop in sales Fox saw in 2008. Charging $30 a movie is a great way to screw people over and do the total opposite of what they are trying to accomplish. I can only see more illegal downloading and sales dropping because of their new plan.

[Archived image unavailable]So tonight I went to check out the Watchmen. If you haven’t seen all of the advertisements and have not heard about the movie, you must be living in a hole some where. I had head bad things about the movie but I still decided to go out and catch it and make an opinion for myself… big mistake. 

To start, the movie opens with a relatively cool fight scene. The main knock on the scene was all the “Matrix” like slow-mo that was used. It kind of ruined the flow and speed of the fight. Other than that, it was a pretty well pieced together beat down. From there, it got worse and worse.

The movies run time is 2:45 so going into this I knew it would be pretty in depth and cover a lot of the story. However, I did not expect the first 2 hours to end up being nothing but back story intertwined with a horrible love story. The last :45 min were basically the wrap up or a horrible plot and story line that really involved more standing around and talking than action and left you with an ending that couldn’t have been any more anticlimatic.  

For what is supposed to me a deep dramatic action film, it suffered madly in both areas. The “action” scenes were few and far between and usually just involved one sided beat downs that were over way after the point was made. The drama made the movie more laughable than serious. The over dramatizations of things like grabbing a door knob later gave the “important” lines of the film the feel of a punchline instead of a sense of urgency, anger, or even grief. A surprising thing to me was the gore and blood in the film. It  actually hurt the movie more than provided any real substance at all. The nudity was a bit of a surprise too. There was one character that was constantly nude (Dr. Manhattan) and you see he penis far too often (who appeared to be a shower, not a grower). On top of all this, the acting did not help a thing.  None of the actors in the movie were really that likeable, believable, or tolerable. There wasn’t really much if anything decent about this movie.  

[Archived image unavailable]Through all of this there was something that annoyed and pissed me off more than anything. It wasn’t the bad acting, the bad writing, or how utterly slow and painful to sit through this movie was. The thing that made me laugh and want to kill myself more than anything was the soundtrack. This movie is a “Dramatic Action” film (I use both of those termsloosely,thus the ” “), the music should be dark and ominous, should flow well, and set the mood for the scene or at least contribute the the feeling of the characters involved. This soundtrack really only made me feel as though I were sitting in a bar with a jukebox. It didn’t invoke any feelings, it didn’t help the visuals on the screen, it did nothing. It was more like they took their mp3 player, put it on shuffle, and just played whatever came up. The heroes are going to save the day and what comes on? How about “All Along The Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix”. Or how about 99 Luftballons (Which was left off of the soundtrack). Probably my favorite was “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen during a random sex scene. What the fuck is that? Is that sacrilegious? 

This movie was just awful. I have only walked out on one movie and this would have been #2 had I not been with someone and it not cost me $9.25 to see. If you have an itch to go see this film do yourself a favor, stand out on the freeway during rush hour traffic. Getting pegged by a car would be far more entertaining and worthwhile than the 3 hours of your life you would spend on this movie.

Enjoy.

Manny Ramirez has finally agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal is for two year and will pay him $45 million (1st year $25, 2nd $20) with the possibility to opt out after the second year.

[Archived image unavailable]With Manny’s agent Scott Boras being the blood sucking anti-Christ that he is, you can almost be certain that Manny will opt out after this season.

It is nice to fianlly have this stuff done though. In the long run the Dodgers need Manny and Manny needs the Dodgers. The Dodgers should have a solid lineup as long as Manny plays like he did last year.

There really isn’t a better fit for Manny anywhere. For him, the fans in L.A. love him, and his personality fits in perfectly. For the Dodgers, they needed a power bat and left fielder (although Manny’s glove work is pretty weak). The fans will pour in just to see him play and buy up his merchandise and the Dodgers will make a nice bit of coin from it all. It’s really a win win for all.

Boingboing.net posted a story about a fish I had never heard of not could ever imagine. The Macropinna microstoma or “Barreleye Fish” looks like an odd Photoshop job or maybe some kind of alien at first. It’s head is transparent, allowing the fish to be able to have a great range of vision. It’s eyes look like two glowing green orbs and black spots on its face you may think is it’s eyes are tubes containing it’s olfactory senses. Check out the article by The Sun for a better image and a video.

So I needed a break from the daily grind of the 9 to 5. Living in Southern California there are many options for myself to choose from to get away from reality for a little while and enjoy some new surroundings. I decided for a small vacation that I would head up to Monterey because I have heard how absolutely amazing it is, driving along the coast, enjoying the beach, and the small town woods charm up mid-state California. 

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After taking some time to think about what exactly I would do and where I would go, I booked my plans and was on the road after a few hours of procrastination. Having made a couple of stops shortly after starting the journey, I had not realized how much I had truly underestimated the drive that lay ahead.

Getting a later start that start than originally planned, I knew I couldn’t expect the drive I was planning on having. The drive up the 101 was fine. Traffic moved at a nice steady 70 mph and I rarely had to use my breaks until I got to HWY 1.

As the night continued to come, I increasingly contemplated diverting from my original plan to that the 1 and sticking to the 101. I felt that the drive up the coast at sunset would be worth the darkness I would face when the sun finally rested, so I stuck to my plans. 

After the sun went to bed, I realized it was a bad idea. No lights, a windy unfamiliar road, and a total lack of any radio stations coming in help to influence a total feel of being alone in the middle of nowhere. I turned on my iPod and tried to stay in my “traveling is fun” frame of mind, but that was only possible for a short time. With all of the prep time that I took to make sure I didn’t miss anything before leaving, charging my iPod had slipped my mind. Now the drive felt longer than ever. 

After a certain point, somewhere between my ass going numb and my brain having left my head, I got the need to just get there. I didn’t care how, but with the hunger shakes providing a nice head ache, I knew I just wanted off this damn road. I didn’t really realize how utterly stupid I was until I finally got into the hotel and took a mental rewind of the trip up (doing 60 mph on a road you don’t know, with no street lights, mild rain, and only 7 feet separating me from a 50 foot plunge into the ocean on a very windy road).

Getting into Monterey and seeing signs of civilization was a wonderful thing. I was able to find an interesting radio station that helped keep my mind afloat on the last leg of my drive.88.1 KZSC Santa Cruz, quite an odd little gem. It’s commercial free which made me fall in love immediately. One of my most hated things in life is radio commercials. At the time I pulled into my hotel and then later hit Jack In The Box (the happiest time I had ever been to eat fast food) they were playing techno and the lively beats helped to push me and keep me conscious. The next day there was some indy rock, jazz, Christian, classic hippy rock (and playing metal right now as I write this); It was a veritable orgy of musical tastes which was quite refreshing compared to the normal mainstream crap that is strewn and streamed about beating us to death with the same old songs and tiring artists. 

The first night spent in Monterey started by some knocking in the room next to me. Well, maybe knocking isn’t the correct term as it was more of a continuous loud crash as if the Incredible Hulk was moving furniture next door. After I was able to nod back off, there came a knock at my door and an attempt to open it. The cleaning lady wanted to come in and asked in her broken English if she could come clean. I in my broken Spanglish responded with a polite go away which I really wanted to say was “Fuck off, it’s only 10:30!”.

After showering and checking to make sure I had my cameras and maps, I headed out into the unknown (Did that line sound deep or what?).

My first stop was the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row. I had heard from many that the aquarium was amazing and had to be seen. In all truth, that was the main reason for my trip so I had very high hope as I approached, and I was not disappointed. The size of the aquarium was amazing. I never expected it to be so big. The sheer number of species they had on display blew me away. There was so much to see there I just took my time and soaked in as much as I could. One tank was at least 40 feet tall and spanned two stories. It contained Barracuda, Tuna, Hammer Head Sharks, Reef Sharks, Sardines, and the inbred redheaded step child of the sea, the Sun Fish. The Jelly Fish reminded me of a lava lamp the way the effortlessly glided along and hypnotized you with their vibrant colors. Of the entire aquarium, I took about 300 pictures only putting the camera down when I wanted to really study what was in front of me. If there is ever a free moment to go to the Aquarium, do so, it is a beautiful place that really gets your mind thinking about what is out there, under the water that you can’t see.

Leaving the aquarium I felt anything from this point was just a bonus and really wasn’t sure what I should do. I decided to just drive along the coast line and see where it got me. I wasn’t really sure where I was going, but in my aimless driving I stumbled upon one of my planned destinations, 17 mile drive.

I wish I could say this was a beautiful drive along an amazing golf course, but due to the fact the PGA was in town, the drive was closed. I turned around and headed to a beach that had been nearby. I wanted to snap a few shots of the rocks and waves, and of course explore the rocks and crevices along the water line to see if I could find any crabs or sea life among the pools.

As I walked around I found a path that was laid out with old railway ties that made it much easier to move alone and survey my surroundings. As I got onto the path I came across a nice surprise. Standing in front of me was a flag in the middle of a patch of grass, I was looking at the club house of The Links at Spanish Bay hole No. 2. I love golf, so to be able to stand and look at one of the most amazing golf courses in the entire sport left me with the giddy feeling of a little girl who just got a new doll. The fact that I wasn’t from the area and didn’t have the money to get my ass out of jail is the only thing that kept me from running around on the course and tearing my clothes off to roll around on the grass. (And for all you golf haters, take an hour, go to the driving range and hit a bucket of balls. Golf is hard, trying it truly gives you a new respect for the game.)

After leaving the beach, I couldn’t make up my mind whether to head north to San Francisco or take a break and go to the hotel for a little bit. I decided to power on and check out the golden gate bridge like I originally wanted. 

The drive up there were some showers and some car accidents. The scenery was beautiful, even Sand City which is exactly as the name implies. Huge dunes of sand everywhere made it seem as though you crossed into a desert for a short time.

After getting into SF and getting lost, I figured I’d give my buddy Steven a call and see if he was free. Lucky for me he was free that evening so we met up and decided to go out and grab a beer.

We hopped a bus and headed down town. Having never been to the town I was in awe of the architecture and hulking buildings that lined the streets. We headed towards China Town as neither of us had eaten and I had heard the food was amazing there. As we lumbered our way up the hill we stopped to ask a couple of people about riding the trolley. Two British women were quite a riot and provided us with the needed information (costs 5 dollars one way), and also gave us quite a laugh.

As we continued to walk, the sky suddenly opened up and poured down on us. We were able to hurry under an awning for cover. Just as we did so, a cab pulled up, perfect timing. We jumped in the cab and made our way to get some food. Not even a five minute drive when we were dropped off, and not a drop in the sky.

We go into what seemed to be a shady Chinese restaurant and took a seat. We were the only people in there as most of China Town was closed down by this time (8:30 p.m.). I love Chinese food and have now had the best Chinese in my entire life. Hands down, SF China Town is the place to go for the best Chinese food, simple as that.  

After dinner we headed for a bar he was referred to but had yet to visit. (When I get the name I will update this and provide it). Passing though part of down town, we came across what I can only guess was San Fran’s red light district. Being the perv that I am, I couldn’t help but get a smile from ear to ear. In the same sense however, I felt mildly creeped out and dirty. I can only contribute that feeling to pervasion sensory overload.

We finally made it and the bar had a great vibe. It was very mellow and enjoyable. It had the decore of a Jazz/Irish Pub/Saloon. It felt small but was still roomy and everyone was more involved in themselves than how they look and who they are trying to impress. It was much more of a hang out than somewhere to meet someone. (BTW they make a killer White Russian)

After enjoying some food and drink it was back to my task at hand, night photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. By the time I got to the bridge it was about 12 o’clock and windy and cold. Shorts and sandals were definitely not what I should have been wearing, but that’s what happens when you don’t plan accordingly.

I was able to get a few shots, none of which turned out how I had really hoped but they did the job overall. Next time I will be better prepared to handle the cold and wind that made shooting an issue. 

On the way back to the car, I thought I would take a short cut and promptly got lost. After about 20 min. of finding my sense of direction, I was able to get back to my car. Getting lost became a theme that night.

It started when I left the bridge. A cop drove by me and from my years of playing Grand Theft Auto and smoking weed, my paranoia kicked in and my instinct said to follow him instead of going the obviously correct way. After doing a needless loop around under the bridge, I was back on the freeway.

The drive home had been too smooth. 70 mph on cruise control the whole way was just too easy. Somehow I missed my exit by miles. I don’t know if I can blame it on the rain but I wasn’t thrilled about it as tired as I was. With my iPhone dying on me, I had to scramble to try and make a map and get my bearings. I would find my exit, and then turn in the wrong direction. Then correct myself after 10 min and then make another wrong turn later.

All of this eventually led me to a dead phone, an extra 2 hours on the road, almost no gas, and driving down a curvy road in the rain with only a chainsaw wielding killer missing from the roadside. Eventually I found my hotel after barely being able to remember where to go.

By the time I fell asleep (4 a.m.), I had just enough sense to put the do not disturb sign on my door so I would  prevent myself from telling the cleaning lady to fuck off.

The next day was my last. I had planned to stay one more day, but when I woke up I felt I had done everything that I had wanted to in my one day. 

On my last day I went Carmel. Quaint little place if you are old and have money to blow, otherwise it’s a waste of time. 

I drove through Carmel Valley as part of a way to do some scenic driving and to get from the 1 to the 101. Little did I know the drive would take close to 3 hours, stopping on occasion to take photos. The area was beautiful but would have been better during grape season. Endless grape farms spanned the region only to have rows or sticks and dead vines on display. 

From there I drove back to Ventura, again using the cruise control at 70 mph (too many cops around in those areas, didn’t want to chance a ticket). I drove about 4 hours hitting the breaks once, it was nice. 

All in all the trip was short but much needed and well worth it. I am looking forward to making another trip up north and really getting to explore San Francisco. 

One of my favorite cartoons growing up was The Jetson’s. I always thought it was awesome to be able to fly as your main means of transportation. Well thanks to a company located in Boston, that idea is becoming more real.

The Transition is a new car that will be offered to the public and available as soon as next year.

[Archived image unavailable]The new vehicle will have the ability to drive like a car and be able to take off and fly. The wings fold up along the sides allowing it to convert back into a car.

The price is not too bad actually. At $194,000 it’s not cheap by any means, but it does beat the high priced gas guzzling sports cars. On one take of gas (regular unleaded) you can fly 500 miles.

All of this sounds great, but I am very interested in seeing how insurance for such a thing plays out. There are so many bad drivers out there already, what will it cost to cover them when they are airborne and in a death trap?