iPod vs Zune: Price War?

This morning, Microsoft announced the launching of their new product, "Zune". The Zune is Microsoft's answer to Apple's iPod.
Image courtesy of Engadget.com

Noticeably absent in Microsoft's release statement was the price of this new device. However, it turns out that Walmart already leaked the price of the Zune earlier this week. According to a reader of Engadget, the Zune product page on Walmart.com had the price listed at $284. The pricing info has since been removed from Walmart's Zune product page, but as of yesterday evening it was still available in the MP3 player category listing of Walmart.com!

Speculation in the techie world is that the Zune's price being concealed by Microsoft has everything to do with Apple's surprise announcement on this past Tuesday that the 30GB iPod, which was originally priced at $299, has been lowered to $249. A 17% price drop on an already big-selling item is not too shabby!

Your move, Microsoft.

Not just another Weird Al parody

My friend Tom sent this to me earlier this week. I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. Weird Al should be commended; this may be the funniest parody he's done to date.

RIP Mickey Hargitay 1926 - 2006

Mickey Hargitay passed away on Thursday, September 14 at age 80. He was married to actress Jayne Mansfield back in the 50's, and is the father of Mariska Hargitay (Detective Olivia Benson, on Law and Order: SVU).


Mickey Hargitay and daughter Mariska

Image courtesy of Access Hollywood

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The "Race" Begins

On Thursday evening, the season opener of "Survivor: Cook Islands" was broadcast. You are probably already aware of the tremendous amount of hype surrounding this 13th season of Survivor. The teams on this show have historically been divided into tribes. In recent years, these tribe divisions have been based on more glaringly obvious differences (i.e. gender, age, etc...) This year, CBS decided to go there and divide the tribes by race. I feel that I have to place that word in bold type because merely mentioning it still stirs up some of the most raw emotion and tension in this country.

When I first became enlightened about the premise of this season's Survivor, I was very disappointed in the decision that CBS made to go forth with this. I initially felt that it was very irresponsible of them to expose an already racially oversensitive nation to a "reality" show that was based on racial segregation. I was so turned off, in fact, that I decided then and there that I would not even entertain the thought of tuning in on Thursday evenings, although I had watched previous seasons of Survivor. My reaction was knee-jerk to say the least; admittedly, I knew little to nothing about the actual dynamics of this particular season. I only knew that the tribes would be divided by race. On Thursday, when 8:00pm came, I fought with the decision of whether or not to give the show a chance. After all, I really hate to completely dismiss anything based on limited knowledge of it. So by 8:30, I talked myself into watching the show. Here's what I discovered:

At this point in the season, the individual tribes have not begun to interact with the other groups yet. In fact, each tribe only saw the other groups on two occasions - at the very beginning of the episode, and during the immunity challenge toward the end of the show. The focus, thus far, is on how the individuals in each tribe are interacting with one another. THAT has proven to be much more interesting in my opinion. After the official CBS announcement about the way the tribes were divided on this season of Survivor, the greatest concern that was vocalized was the promoting of racial segregation. Many were most likely occupied with the image of the white team, for example, excluding say, the Hispanics, and plotting against them. Interestingly enough, that concept did play out to some extent, but not in the way that many of us were envisioning.

I only saw the last half hour, which mostly focused on the inner-dynamic of the black tribe (Hiki Tribe). This group consists of two men and three women. Naturally, the two men (Nate and Sekou) paired up and begin to bond the way that guys tend to. I expected the three women to do the same. However, two of the women (Sundra and Rebecca) appeared to exclude the third woman (Stephanie). Please bear in mind that it is within the black tribe that what I'm describing takes place. Stephanie even points this out at the very end of the episode. She felt that it was "strange" that all three of the women started off as strangers, yet Sundra and Becca withdrew from her and paired up with one another to bond. So now what? How should we feel about this divisiveness that took place?

I only watched a half hour of the episode. During those 30 minutes, I came to the conclusion that human beings are simply human beings. And we behave based on human nature. We are all more comfortable with what is familiar to us. People don't like to be taken out of their comfort zones unless absolutely necessary. So, when given the option, we prefer to operate within the confines of who and what we understand, and who we think will understand us in return. No matter how we are divided or grouped, our human nature will always dictate how we interact with others. If we keep this in mind, maybe we can diminish the amount of hasty responses we typically have whenever a discussion about race is on the table. Sure, I still think that CBS only came up with this concept to boost ratings for their network, which will work, by the way. But here's hoping that we can all still learn something in the process.

Read more on "Survivor Cook: Islands"

"The (warped) View"

I stopped being a fan of ABC's "The View" years ago, and it's a good thing too. Now that they have Rosie O'ChristiansAreEvil as one of the members of the panel, the show has become simply intolerable. I now understand why the show is called "The View". There's pretty much only 1 view! There are 4 women on the panel, 3 liberals and 1 conservative. Why not even the playing field by having 2 liberals and 2 conservatives since 4 divides by 2 so evenly? Why, you ask? Because The View is broadcast on ABC. This is the same network that edited "Path to 9/11" before it was broadcast this past Monday at the urging of Bill Clinton! ABC must stand for "Actively Being Cowards".

Anyhoo, take a look at this video clip from Tuesday, September 12. One full day after our country mourned/commemorated the 5-year anniversary of the worst US tragedy that our generation knows of, this spewed from Rosie's mouth. Please also note that the audience claps after Rosie makes the infamous comment. Enough said.

Video courtesy of michellemalkin.com.



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Honoring the 9/11 Fallen

Tomorrow marks the 5-year anniversary of the day that approximately 3,000 Americans simultaneously had their lives taken senselessly and violently. The world has never been and will never be the same due to this horrible tragedy. We are much more guarded now as we enter our office buildings. We are much more cognizant of our surroundings as we board subways, buses, trains and airplanes. We no longer take strangers at face value in public situations. Our entire livelihood has changed over the past 5 years.

I've been thinking all week about what it is that I can do to pay tribute to those who are no longer with us due to the events of that day. There will be lots of events commemorating 9/11 tomorrow. Even if we aren't able to make it to one of the memorial services, or observe a moment of silence at the exact time of morning that the tragedy began 5 years ago, I still believe that there are other ways to honor the victims.

Tomorrow, as I'm getting my family ready to leave the house and begin our day, I will think of the victims. I will remember to hug and kiss my kids as if I won't see them again. I will remember to focus on my hubby's eyes a little longer before I dash out of the door, and hold him in my arms as hard as I can before I let him go. I will do my best to make sure that they know everything that I feel for them before they go out into the cruel, harsh world tomorrow. Most of the victims of 9/11 never got the chance to say 'goodbye' and 'I Love You' to those that meant the most to them; not with the kind of finality that their imminent situation would have prompted them to. I intend to do what it is that they would do if they had one more chance. There will be thousands upon thousands of family members, friends, co-workers, etc,...reliving the nightmare all over again tomorrow. Please say a special prayer for them.

Also, please remember to keep singer/songwriter/evangelist Tammy Trent in your prayers as well. 5 years ago today (Sept 10), her husband of 11 years passed away in a scuba diving accident while they were vacationing in Jamaica. On the same day that we were all living and trying to grasp the 9/11 tragedy, her husband's death was being confirmed by police and divers while she was over a thousand miles from home. I pray that she is somewhere right now at peace and that the Holy Spirit is carrying her through the memories of that day and each day she spent with her husband.

God Bless you all.

Purchase of the Week

I ordered a brand new, burgundy leather NIV Rainbow Study Bible. I'm already in love with this bible. I had never even heard of this particular brand until two weeks ago! And, I already have an NIV bible that my hubby bought me when we got married. He had my name engraved on the front cover, and it holds special meaning to me. So I wasn't in need of a bible, but I still felt like I should invest in the Rainbow Study Bible.

The thing that sets this Rainbow study bible apart from any that I've seen, is the particular way that it is organized. Not by subject, or by individual, but by color. The color-coding system is divided into 12 different colors, and EVERY single verse in the entire bible from old to new testament is highlighted by a particular color. There is a bookmark that comes with the bible that shows you what each color denotes. (i.e. God, Discipleship, Sin, Witnessing, Family, etc...)

I read the bible regularly because this is something that I have always done, and I know that it is the path to learning more about our Lord and his desires for us. But honestly, this is the first time in my life that I can't wait to open it and start reading every single day. I get so much more meaning out of what I'm reading now! And I find myself never wanting to put it down! It doesn't feel like an obligation now...I get excitement and joy now in addition to the edification I always receive. It's definitely worth looking into, if you haven't already seen it!

Get Ready to LOL!

I know that I'm late with this one as it happened back in mid-August. This morning Q-100 FM radio here in Atlanta played an audio clip that is one of the funniest things that I have heard in a long time! I think that we could all use a good laugh today, so I will share this with you in case you haven't already heard it.

Overview: At the beginning of her morning sign-on, a disc jockey in Mobile, Alabama (my hubby's hometown as it turns out) told her listeners that she had a VERY important announcement to share with them, and for them to stay tuned until the end of the broadcast. The audio clip below is the disc jockey who uses the moniker "Inetta the Moodsetta" giving said announcement at the end of the show. Enjoy! I sure did. :-)

Click here for AUDIO

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Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin 1962-2006

I was saddened upon hearing of the death of the famed Crocodile Hunter. He passed away a few hours ago while filming a documentary off of the coast of Queensland, Australia. Everyone that I know has mimicked him (CRIKEY!!) or at the very miminum envied his daring nature. He will be sorely missed...the man is honestly a legend. I will keep his his wife, children, and parents in my thoughts in the midst of this sudden tragedy.





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La Shawn's Friday Meme: At This Very Moment

La Shawn poses a series of questions that tap into the types of memories that most of us don't take or have the time to share with others. I enjoy reading about what's on everyone's mind! Also, I find it very cathartic to probe the psyche in this way.

Are you craving anything and if so, what?
I have a very strong craving for shellfish at the moment. I would pay a pretty considerable sum of money to have someone bring me some right now. I am also craving another trip to Orlando, FL. We usually go twice a year for a week at a time, and I will reiterate that I honestly spend the other 50 weeks of the year thinking about when I will get to go back.

What is the weather outside, and do you wish it would change?
It's pretty gloomy outside. We've had rain all week long, but thankfully it's much cooler outside than it has been (82-87 degrees or so). I live for sunny days!! Hmm...this may be a good indicator that I depend too much on external stimuli for my happiness. :-)

What two websites do you think you will go to next after you are finished here?
I will go back to La Shawn Barber's Corner to see if anyone else has commented yet! I'm sure that I will also be checking out Engadget and Slashdot several more times throughout the day as well.

Do you wish you were somewhere else and if so, where?
Right now, I wish that my entire family and I were on a 2 week cruise. I can honestly smell the salt from the ocean, and feel the warm breeze on my face right now! You know where else I'd like to be? It would make me very happy right now to be sitting in a classroom. My husband has gotten a Bachelor of Science and an MBA since I've been married to him, and is currently working on a Juris Doctorate law degree. I'm realizing now that I have put my educational goals on hold because I feel that out of the two of us, my hubby is more likely to attain success and wealth for our family. I'm nothing to sneeze at though, and I think that I should give it...the old college try!! HA! I'll be here all night; try the veal.

Do you wish you were someone else, and if so, who?
I thought long and hard about this one, and I can't think of someone else that I'd like to be. But going along with La Shawn's modification to the question, if I could look like someone else for about a week it would be rising star Paula Patton. Absolutely gorgeous.