‘05 Pista Concept!

I finally got my fingers on a 2005 Bianchi Pista Concept. It’s a 53cm which might be a little too small, but according to my calculations… it’s got the exact same dimensions as my current frame! Hopefully it will be a pretty simple transition. I’m utterly shocked at how incredibly light it is.

I scored it for a real good price too, so if I do decide that it’s not exactly the right size I should be able to flip it on ebay pretty quick and not lose any money.

I’m excited to get started with this build. I want to keep my other bike fully operational while I build this one up, and want to give it some love with all new parts across the board. Originally I wanted to powdercoat it all pink, and replace all of the stickers with white duplicates. Not too sure if I’ll keep with that idea or not, but I’ll keep you guys posted!

EVDO Hell

Other news… The guys at Mobi hooked me up with a new modem and everything is pretty peachy keen right now. I figured out a pretty nice, yet ghetto, way to mount my device to get solid reception. I’ll certainly be giving all of you the low down on Mobi PCS’s Hele EVDO service really soon. I’ve been taking lots of screenshots and jotting lots of notes so I can report an accurate review.

Hawaii as a Genetic Testing Ground

Just a short while ago, while wandering about the interwebs as I normally do, I stumbled upon something quite newsworthy about genetically modified organisms and Hawaii. I live in Hawaii and although I can’t call myself a Hawaiian, I’ve lived here just over a year now and think that I can safely call it my “home”.

While living here I have seen all kinds of “No Trespassing” hush hush kind of places on the island, and all sorts of testing facilities, and research facilities, all of the goodies that you might find in LOST. It all interests me, anything that is hush hush which relates to our environment does typically does, but I never really thought anything of it.

As it turns out, Hawaii is the place to be for genetic agricultural testing. Coating teflon balls with genetic material and literally shooting it like Chad with his pump shotgun into the cells of plants and animals. Companies like Dupont and Monsonto (which developed Agent Orange) are planting these genetically modified cops in the soil here, where the genetically modified material is seeping into the soil and being carried by animals to neighboring non-gmo — organic — farms.

I’ve been watching a video which goes into detail about the situation, which really does a good job of explaining the situation. I am nearly done (its a 30 minute video) and haven’t seen anything yet regarding the various biopharmaceutical companies’ side’s of the story, but hope to learn more about that as well.

You can give the video a watch here on The Pinky Show. I’m off to finish it up and get back to work!

Laptop Stolen

Stupid fucking idiot. I’m such a fucking moron.

I left my laptop in the smoking area of my building today, while I took my bike downstairs into the basement to lock it. I was gone about a minute or two, according to security cameras, and by the time I returned it was gone.

The suspect opened my bag, took the laptop, and booked it out of there. I circled all of the area on my bike looking for someone carrying it, and found nothing. Spent an hour looking at video footage with the security team, no dice.

Honolulu Police filed a report. I don’t ever expect to see that thing again. I made fun of it all the time because it’s sort of scratchy and rough on the edges… keys are cracked and missing paint, the screen is a little foobar, but really, I’ve never loved that laptop more than I do right now. It was a great machine, a machine I was working diligently on all last night, which is now gone.

Fuck me. I’m such a fucking idiot.

What The Fuck

Silverback’s new website is total gayballs. They finally launched it, which is hilarious and-and-of itself based upon the utter simplicity of their app. With all the hype generated from their original splash page, doesn’t make much of a splash for me. I’m pretty dry right now to be honest. The site really doesn’t live up to any of the hype that the splash and everyone who hyped it up made it out to be. It looks incomplete, rushed, and half-assed.

The app does look fairly decent though. Right now we’re using Screenflow to do all of our usability testing of Hammerhead, which seems to do a pretty good job. Funny how the screencast for Silverback was actually made with Screenflow, as pointed out by my buddy Cory Shaw who does all of our usability testing and caught the left-channel-only audio bug.

Close and Checkmark PDF Icons

I made these the other day for the desktop app we’re creating which will communicate with iLovePhotos.com. I thought I would be nice and spread the love, letting all of the other designers in the world less talented than I bask in a little tiny bit of my amazing-ness. I kid, but really, enjoy the freebies. Both are vectors in PDF format, so they will get as small or as big as your wildest desires might make them. Fancy stuff eh? Download here.

The Silver Cord

The Classic Crime is at it again with a new album. Really, really loving it so far. I loved their first album, Albatross, and their latest which was just released today is totally awesome. Itunes.

Fixation

I’m addicted to this shit. I just spent an hour looking online for and contemplating buying a $200 crankset. A Sugino 75 crankset to be exact, one which would give me a more common bolt pattern to pick and choose various chainrings easier. I’m still contemplating buying the new cranks and a new chainring, but for now, I have decided to push aside my desire for more gear inch madness in order to save for my true desire, a Bianchi Pista Concept frame.

Everyone here in Hawaii loves the NJS Japanese Keirin frames and parts, Nitto, Makino, 3Rensho, Panasonic, Samson, and anything Japanese with sparkles. Although I too like some of these frames, the bike that I would truly have a fixgasm over is the Pista Concept. Specifically the 2004 model, which is matte black with the celeste logo.

Sadly these things are incredibly hard to find. I also like the new white models, especially if everything else on the bike is 100% murder-status blacked out. I guess I’ll have to see… might be a good idea to actually have the cash to spend before contemplating all these possibilities. For now, time to get back to work!

11 Things We Hate About iTunes

We all use iTunes. It's our gateway to millions of song downloads, thousands of TV shows and movies, that killer new App Store, and a terrific selection of podcasts. Without it, our iPods and iPhones would be empty, lonely, and sad.

But, oh, does iTunes drive us crazy sometimes. It lacks obvious features, hobbles others, and does things that are just plain dumb. In some cases, Apple's decision-making is to blame, not iTunes itself, but the latter is the conduit through which those bad decisions trickle.

We've rounded up 11 of these annoyances, all of which Apple could fix in about 5 minutes. In the meantime, we've listed workarounds for many of them--because, let's face it, much as we hate iTunes sometimes, we're stuck with it.

(You might also be interested in our story "Annoying Software: Is Apple iTunes the New AOL?")

1. Wildly Inefficient Updates

Kudos to Apple for releasing frequent updates to iTunes, fixing bugs, and adding features along the way. But big-time demerits for forcing us to download and reinstall the entire program for every little update. And bundling QuickTime, too, whether it's new or not. Yo, Apple, ever heard of a patch? Some folks are still using dial-up, you know.

2. DRM (Boo!)

iTunes gave us the 99-cent song download, thus paving the way for honest people to buy music at a fair price. So why does the iTunes Store still employ digital rights management (DRM) for the majority of songs in its library? Blaming the record labels no longer holds water: AmazonMP3 and Rhapsody are among a growing number of services selling DRM-free MP3s from all the major labels, not just EMI. At least iTunes no longer charges extra for the latter's "iTunes Plus" selections, but why hasn't Apple given DRM the heave-ho once and for all? At least customers have alternatives now.

3. No Monitoring of Music Folders

Apple seems unwilling to acknowledge that people get music from sources other than iTunes. How else to explain the software's inability to monitor folders and automatically add new music to the library? Sure, any songs ripped from CDs or purchased from the iTunes Store get added, but that's it. If you rip discs with a different program or buy music from other stores, you'll have to import them manually. Geez, even the Microsoft Zune software monitors folders.

Fortunately, solutions are available. iTunes Folder Watch, a free utility for Windows (sorry, Mac faithful), monitors designated folders, then automatically adds any newly discovered music to your iTunes library. And if you buy music from AmazonMP3 or the Rhapsody MP3 Store, those stores' download utilities will automatically add new purchases to your iTunes collection--no intervention required.

4. 'Pushing' of Other Programs by iTunes Installer

Earlier this year, Apple hopped aboard the crapware train by adding its new-for-Windows Safari browser to its Software Update tool--which tends to appear whenever there's a new version of iTunes. Anyone accustomed to clicking OK without looking too closely would end up installing Safari, which was selected for download by default. At least now the browser is relegated to a "New Software" category--but it's still automatically queued up for download unless you clear the check box.

Meanwhile, any Windows user who installed iTunes 7.7 (the version that introduced the App Store) will find a surprise in Windows' Control Panel: a MobileMe service Preferences icon. It lands there whether you're a MobileMe subscriber or not, and whether you want it or not.

5. No Subscription Service--Still

If you're going to keep clinging to DRM, Apple, how about giving us a music-subscription service to go with it? You know, the kind offered by Napster, Rhapsody, and Zune Marketplace. For 15 bucks a month, a Zune Pass lets us buy unlimited (but not unrestricted) downloads that we can pack into our high-capacity iPods. It's an unbeatable way to discover new music--and the more music we discover, the more music we're likely to purchase.

6. 'Neglected' Podcasts Stop Downloading

iTunes is like a strict schoolmarm: If you don't listen to your subscribed podcasts on a frequent and regular basis, the program stops downloading new episodes. Say, shouldn't that be our decision? Does Apple think we're low on hard-drive space or something? We've got gigs to spare, so keep the podcasts coming. That's why we subscribed to them, after all. Unfortunately, iTunes has no setting that can override this dictatorial action. Guess we better keep our regular appointments with "The Onion Radio News" and the "Car Talk" guys.

7. The Mystery Check Box

Next to every single item in your library--songs, TV shows, podcasts, and so on--there's a little check box. It's been there as long as we can remember, but if the iTunes help function explains its purpose, that entry is really hard to find. Do you uncheck items to stop them from syncing? Check items that you want in a playlist? What's up with the box?!

Actually, it's pretty simple: Unchecked items don't get played when you're listening to your library or a playlist. Likewise, unchecked items don't get synced to your iPod if you enable the "Sync only checked songs and videos" option in the device's Summary menu. Handy options, right? So why all the secrecy?

8. NBC Shows--Bring Them Back!

Come on, Apple, make nice with NBC already. New seasons of "Chuck," "Heroes", and "30 Rock " are right around the corner, and we're just itching to watch them on our iPods and iPhones. Bet you can't even remember what the fight was about. Oh, right, money. Seems like both sides were making quite a lot of it, and now both of you are getting nothing. Wouldn't something be better? Swallow your pride and get NBC back on board in time for September. We've got money for "Office" burning a hole in our pockets.

9. Weak Dockable Player Controls (Updated)

Here we are, seven versions into iTunes, and the player still doesn't have decent dockable controls. The iTunes toolbar (accessible by right-clicking the Windows taskbar, the choosing Toolbars, iTunes) offers only the most basic player functions, and doesn't even show you which track is currently playing. As for the Mini Player, it can't actually dock anywhere: At best you can configure it to stay on top of other applications if you venture deep enough into the program's settings menu (look near the bottom of the Advanced tab). What we really want is a dockable iTunes toolbar with volume, seek, play/pause, and other controls, and an optional song-info ticker. Firefox and Internet Explorer users can get that kind of goodness from the FoxyTunes extension, which adds customizable iTunes controls to the browsers.

10. Rotten at Exporting Playlists

Want to use your carefully crafted, years-in-the-making playlists with another program or a non-iPod player? Sorry: They're locked up like gold bars at Fort Knox. While most music managers employ the industry-standard M3U format for playlists, iTunes marches to the beat of its own proprietary-format drummer. Yes, you can export an iTunes playlist, but only for importing it back into iTunes again.

Thankfully, developers have come to the rescue. Eric Daugherty's iTunes Export turns any iTunes playlist into an M3U file, and iTunes Sync makes it possible to sync your song library and playlists with a variety of non-iPod players. Best of all, both utilities are free (thank you, developers!).

11. No E-Books

On the subject of e-books on iTunes, Steve Jobs famously declared that "people don't read books anymore." (Guess they listen to them, though, as audiobooks have been a staple on iTunes for years.) Admittedly, smallish iPod screens don't lend themselves well to reading on the go, but the iPhone and iPod Touch are perfect for the job. Heck, they could easily challenge the Amazon Kindle for e-book supremacy, as their sharp, roomy touch screens let you turn pages by swiping a finger--just like in a real book.

For now, book lovers can get their fix from eReader, a free iPhone/Touch app connected to eReader and Fictionwise bookstores. But iTunes and e-books seem like such a natural fit. Maybe together, they could encourage people to read more.

Three Things We Love About iTunes

Some features of iTunes we really like. They include:

1. Dynamic Search in the iTunes Store

The iTunes Store's search box is dynamic: Start typing, and results immediately appear below. You can find HBO's series "Flight of the Conchords," for instance, by typing just the first three letters. Very handy. We'd love it if iTunes Library searches worked the same way.

2. Free Stuff

Every week, the iTunes Store offers a new free song and, more often than not, one or more free TV shows. You'll even find the occasional free audiobook. To browse the weekly giveaways, head to the "FREE on iTunes" section at the bottom of the main store page.

3. Smart Playlists

A "smart" playlist is one built in iTunes on one or more selected criteria, like genre, rating, even bit rate and play count. For example: The 25 least-recently played punk songs released between 1982 and 1989, where the album rating is at least four stars. Think we'll call this playlist "New old punk."

9 Words That Don't Mean What You Think

The English language is under assault by stupid people who use words they don't understand, and is defended by pompous asses who like to correct those people. We're not sure who to side with.

So, here are some words that you'll see used incorrectly on a daily basis, and a helpful guide as to just how big of a dick you'd have to be to correct people on it. We have also included many pictures of these words being read by women with large boobs.

Irregardless

People think it means:
Regardless.

Actually means:
Not a damned thing.

This is not a word. Now, we have no problem with making up words (if a particular scent can only be described as "fartalicious," we reserve the right to call it so). The problem with this one is "regardless" already means something isn't worth regard (that's why the "less" is there) so adding the "ir" to it means... it's worth regarding again? Who knows.

Should you care?
If there's ever a time to speak up, this is probably it. Mainly because this is one of those words used almost exclusively by people trying to sound smarter than they are. Remind them that when using fake words to at least try to use ones that have some kind of meaning, if they want to avoid unnecessary cockulance when speaking.

Dick Rating:
As in, "How big of a dick are you if you insist people use it the right way?"

Peruse

People think it means:
To skim over or browse something.

Actually means:
Almost the opposite of that.

Peruse means "to read with thoroughness or care." If you peruse a book, you leave no page unturned. This makes sense when you consider the Middle English per use, meaning "to wear out or use up." Unfortunately, if you "consider the Middle English" very often when speaking, you're probably not exactly the life of the party.

Should you care?
You could make the argument that the way people use it is so far off from the original meaning that it's worth fighting for, but there is almost no way to do it tactfully:

"What are you doing, Chris?"
"Oh, just perusing the report here before the meeting."
"Well you better GET OUT THE MICROSCOPE, RETARD! HA HA HA HA HA!!!"

So, perhaps the best thing is to just lead by example and start using the word correctly yourself. But, this can create its own problems:

"Hey Sharon, What's Chris doing?"
"Oh, he said he was perusing that new report."
"Then why is he hunched over it with his tongue out, re-reading the opening page for the ninth time?"
"Gosh, I don't know. I guess he must be clinically retarded."

Dick Rating:

Ironic

People think it means:
Any kind of amusing coincidence.

Actually means:
An outcome that is the opposite of what you'd expect.

So, if a porn star moved to Virgin, Utah, that would be ironic. If the same porn star bought a house in Boner Knob, Montana that would not be ironic.

Should you care?
We realize this is a technical point. But, it's almost worth taking a stand because the word has been abused to the point that it can mean anything.

"She always said she wanted to marry a dentist! And then she married Bob, who is a dentist! Isn't that ironic?"

"I went on my cigarette break, but there was a No Smoking sign! Isn't that ironic?"

"I just pooped in your aquarium! Isn't that ironic?"

We have to draw the line somewhere, don't we?

Dick Rating:

Pristine

People think it means:
"Spotless" or "as good as new."

Actually means:
"Ancient, primeval; in a state virtually unchanged from the original."

It's therefore perfectly possible to have a pristine mountain of fossilized brontosaurus shit, but if you were to buff that mountain to a lustrous shine, it would no longer be pristine.

Should you care?
The meanings are close enough that correcting somebody sounds like grammar Nazi hair-splitting. That's a shame, because there were lots of words that mean "clean" but none that have the exact same meaning as "pristine."

If you use pristine correctly yourself, you probably won't land yourself in too much trouble, unless someone buys your "pristine" house on eBay without realizing that it's an authentic 14th century dung hovel complete with never-been-used plague rats.

Dick Rating:

Nonplussed

People think it means:
Unperturbed, not worried.

Actually means:
Utterly perplexed or confused. It comes from the Latin non plus (a state in which nothing more can be done).

The misunderstanding would seem to stem from people making semi-educated guesses as to the word's meaning, which kind of sounds like it means "unruffled" or something like that.

Should you care?
If your roommate says:

"The doctor called about your herpes test. He sounded nonplussed."

Then, yeah, it's pretty important that you know what he meant. Either the doc wasn't worried, or the doc was perplexed by the sight of some strand of alien herpes he had never witnessed prior, depending on whether or not your roommate knows how to use the word.

Though, if any of your friends actually start using words like "nonplussed" in conversation, regardless of the meaning, they may deserve a good cock punching anyway.

Dick Rating:

Bemused

People think it means:
Mildly amused.

Actually means:
Bewildered or confused.

If you were to say "I was bemused by your dead baby joke," you wouldn't be saying the joke was funny. You'd be saying that you completely failed to understand it. You were following the story up to and including the bit about the trowel, but you'd lost the thread way before the Ku Klux masturbation climax.

Should you care?
It's hard to blame people for getting this one wrong, the word just sounds like it means, "sort of amused." We blame the people who originally invented the word. You should probably let the new meaning take over unless, you know, you're a dick.

Dick Rating:

Enormity

People think it means:
Enormous.

Actually means:
Outrageous or heinous on a grand scale.

War crimes are enormities. Extra-big bouncy castles are not.

Should you care?
This is one of those words you really don't need to be using anyway, unless you're giving a speech at the U.N. Just remember that if you say to your girl, "I hope you're prepared for the enormity of my dick," you're implying that your penis is responsible for several acts of evil on the scale of ethnic genocide. This may or may not turn her on, depending on the girl.

Dick Rating:

Plethora

People think it means:
A lot of something.

Actually means:
Too much of something, an over-abundance.

It's the difference between:

"Dude, I am jonesing to go snort a plethora of medicinal-grade barbiturates right now."

And ...

"Dude, I just snorted a plethora of medicinal-grade barbiturates, and now there are hundreds of terrifying arachnids crawling out of my penis. They all have human lips."

Should you care?
As with "enormity," you're courting a certain amount of dickery by using "plethora" at all; most of the time, you can get the same point across by saying "a big ol' shitload." However, the original meaning of over-abundance is worth hanging onto, because it seems as if there's no direct replacement other than "too many big ol'shitloads," which doesn't have quite the same degree of pith.

Interestingly, "plethora" once meant "an over-abundance of bodily fluids" so if you heard your doctor say this back in the 1700s, it meant they were about to stick a bunch of leeches on you.

Dick Rating:

Deceptively

People think it means:
Nobody is sure.

Actually means:
Nobody is sure.

Specifically, we're talking about when the word is used with some other adjective. Like if somebody says, "The turd pool is deceptively shallow," does that mean it's deeper than it appears, or not as deep?

If you're not sure, don't feel bad. The American Heritage Dictionary asked their word experts and they said they had no fucking idea, either. So ... nobody knows.

Should you care?
So, if you say (to a lady, perhaps), "I possess a deceptively large set of balls," you could mean that your modest bulge belies the real heft of your testicles, which are actually so pendulous that you're forced to strap them to your legs. However, you could also mean that you have tiny love eggs, and that your ball-shaped jean protrusions are actually caused by the hideous malformation of your wang. This is obviously something you want to avoid.

If ever there was a case to be made for clarity of language, this is it. If you use it at all, make sure the context makes the meaning totally clear. "My balls are deceptively large," you could say, "because I have just inflated my genitalia with a bicycle pump."

What this also means is that technically the usage is never wrong ... or right. If you're the type who just likes to correct people to be a dick, well, this one is a gold mine.

Dick Rating:

10 Words and Phrases You Won't Believe Shakespeare Invented

Shakespeare invented more words than most people even know. Seriously, there's at least 1,500 different words and phrases that don't appear anywhere prior to the Bard of Avon putting them on paper. When he got stuck trying to think up a word, the man just made his own.

It's kind of like what rappers do today, except the words Shakespeare made up got embedded into our culture and have formed the cornerstone of our discourse, rather than being obnoxiously spouted by white college students trying to be ironic. And while they weren't all winners ("unhair" still seems to be struggling) others, as you'll see, are so common you've probably already quoted Shakespeare today and you didn't even know it. Fo' sheezy.

Eyeball

First Used:
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act III, Scene ii, Oberon to Puck.

"Then crush this herb into Lysander's eye;
Whose liquor hath this virtuous property,
To take from thence all error with his might,
And make his eyeballs roll with wonted sight."

Translated:
"Grind leaves and shit into that guy's eyes until he goes blind."

Where We'd Be Without It:
Totally unable to explain where we sniped this guy in Call of Duty 4.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Yep, as far as we know that's the first time anybody wrote the word "eyeballs." "Eyes" were there, "balls" were there, yet no one until Billy thought to put the two together. Well, there was one guy, but according to historical records that ended in an arrest for assault and indecent exposure.

Puking

First Used:
As You Like It, Act II, Scene vii, Jaques to Duke Senior.

"They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms."

Translated:
"All humans have seven things in common. One of those things is that when they were babies, they threw up on their governesses."

Where We'd Be Without It:
Without a proper search term for many of the funniest videos on the internet.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Imagining Shakespeare's quill scratching parchment whenever we're hugging the toilet after our ninth vodka tonic gives it a surreal quality that certainly doesn't help the hangover.

Skim Milk

First Used:
Henry IV, Part I, Act II, Scene iii, Hotspur Soliloquy.

"O, I could divide myself
and go to buffets, for moving such a dish of
skim milk with so honourable an action!"

Translated:
"I should knock myself out for telling our awesome plan to such a douche nozzle."

Where We'd Be Without It:
Drinking only thick, full, silky whole milk, the way God intended.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
We haven't done the research necessary to determine whether people in Shakespeare's time drank skim milk, so we're going to assume that he not only coined a word, but simultaneously launched an entire branch of dairy products. For a modern rap corollary, imagine if the Milkshake Song had invented the word milkshake, and the concept of milkshakes. Pretty unbelievable.

Obscene

First Used:
Love's Labours Lost, Act I, Scene i, Ferdinand to Costard.

"Then for the place where; where, I mean, I did encounter
that obscene and preposterous event, that draweth
from my snow-white pen the ebon-coloured ink, which
here thou viewest, beholdest, surveyest, or seest;"

Translated:
"That's where I saw it happen, the thing I wrote about which you now see, see, see or see."

Where We'd Be Without It:
The FCC would have to describe 50's next album as "probably not something you want the kids to hear."

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Shakespeare was such a filthy writer, it's hard to imagine him inventing a word that would inevitably be used against him. After all, this is the man who used the word "country matters" in Hamlet to mean "matters pertaining to the cunt." Beat that, Fiddy.

Hot-Blooded

First Used:
King Lear, Act II, Scene iv, King Lear to Regan.

"Necessity's sharp pinch! Return with her?
Why, the hot-blooded France, that dowerless took
Our youngest born, I could as well be brought
To knee his throne, and, squire-like;"

Translated:
"I'd rather blow the King of France than do what you just said."

Where We'd Be Without It:
Without any tactful way to describe our angry drunk of a boyfriend when our friends ask where those bruises came from.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Because the wild, untamed riffs of Foreigner have no place in classical English literature, except maybe the fight scene at the end of Macbeth. Nothing underscores a beheading like electric guitar.

The Game is Afoot

First Used:
Henry IV, Part I, Act I, Scene iii, Northumberland to Hotspur.

"Before the game is afoot, thou still let'st slip."

Translated:
"Dude, we haven't even shuffled the cards and you're already in the Lollipop Woods."

Where We'd Be Without It:
Reading the less-than-gripping adventures of Sherlock Holmes and his signature catchphrase, "My dear Watson, I do believe this shit is bananas."

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Because Sir Arthur Conan Doyle owned it so thoroughly, we're surprised his estate hasn't filed a retroactive copyright lawsuit. Of course Shakespeare could only pay in ducats, so it probably wasn't worth the effort.

Epileptic

First Used:
King Lear, Act II, Scene ii, Kent to Cornwall.

"A plague upon your epileptic visage!
Smile you my speeches, as I were a fool?
Goose, if I had you upon Sarum plain,
I'ld drive ye cackling home to Camelot."

Translated:
"Fuck you, retard. I want to fight you."

Where We'd Be Without It:
Without the medical definition to apply when we see someone flailing wildly, we'd quickly start staggering dangerously into politically incorrect territory, just as those afflicted stagger dangerously towards...well, whatever's around them at the time. We'd also have one less legitimate reason to hate anime.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
He was a poet, an actor, and a doctor?! It makes us wonder if Shakespeare might have invented other afflictions that didn't catch on, like tuberculasers or genital slurpees.

Wormhole

First Used:
The Rape of Lucrece.

"To fill with worm-holes stately monuments,
To feed oblivion with decay of things,
To blot old books and alter their contents,
To pluck the quills from ancient ravens' wings."

Translated:
A more eloquent version of what goth kids are thinking all the time.

Where We'd Be Without It:
Well, for one, we wouldn't have a handy phrase to describe what worms create when they burrow through moist earth. Also, we wouldn't be able to FLY FUCKING STARSHIPS THROUGH SPACE AND TIME.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Mainly because it's from the goddamned future. When you invent a word that describes technology so far beyond your own time's that it makes the neutron bomb look like a guy clapping really hard, you can take the rest of the day off. The Starfleet Federation, producers of Sliders and future population of Tau Ceti IV Alpha Base thank you, William Shakespeare.

Alligator

First Used:
Romeo and Juliet (First Folio), Act V, Scene I, Romeo Soliloquy.

"And in his needie shop a Tortoyrs hung,
An Allegater stuft, and other skins
Of ill shap'd fishes, and about his shelues,
A beggerly account of emptie boxes."

Translated:
No one knows.

Where We'd Be Without It:
Try and think of a single word that rhymes with "see you later" and pairs well with "in a while, crocodile." What's that? You can't? Shakespeare, bitch.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Because it's hard to imagine what people called them before then. We figure cries of "Ye Gods, watch out for that Chompapottamus!" were much more common in those days.

Household Words

First Used:
King Henry V, Act IV, Scene iii, Henry to Westmoreland.

"Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd."

Translated:
"Five hundred years from now, there won't be a single man, woman, or child on Earth who doesn't remember the names Bedford, Talbot, and Exeter. Everyone will know exactly what happened in this war and what's important about St. Crispin's Day, especially people who read comedy articles on the internet during their coffee breaks. The reference will not go over their heads in the slightest, for they will recall Salisbury as a brilliant tactician and ingenious statesman, and certainly not as a bland slice of cafeteria meat."

Where We'd Be Without It:
Unable to describe the entries in this list.

Why It's Un-Fucking-Believable:
Because so few people have the foresight to invent words to describe their own legacy. In fact, other than this phrase, we can only think of one person who invented a word that perfectly captures the sum of their impact on the planet. And even then, not everyone counts "strategery" as a word.

If you enjoyed that, you'll probably enjoy this rundown of 9 Words That Don't Mean What You Think, an article with way more boobs and dicks than the title might lead you to believe. Or, enjoy Michael's even more offensive version of that racist Super Bowl ad.

Free $100 Facebook Coupon from VBA

From AP

As part of a small-business network Visa designed for Facebook, the world’s largest credit and debit card processor is paying for $2 million of advertising on the socializing site. Visa also will promote the new Facebook service in a multimedia marketing campaign beginning next month.

Visa is giving a $100 advertising credit on Facebook to each of the first 20,000 U.S. businesses that download the Web application needed to join the network, which debuts Tuesday. About 80,000 small businesses already have profiles on Facebook

How to get your free $100 Facebook Counpon? All you need to do is have a Facebook account and add the Visa Business Application. You will then receive an email shortly after with a coupon code. It will have instructions on how to redeem it.

Here’s more details what you do to get $100 in free Facebook Ads:

1. Add the Visa Business Network Facebook application to your account. This application is focused on helping business owners meet each other and network.

2. Complete the Visa Business Network process to register the application.

3. Check for an email from the Facebook Ads Team with the subject “Facebook Ads Alert: Coupon Code Assigned.”

4. Get your coupon code in this email. It is something like this “Your coupon code is: 1111-2222-3333-4444″

5. Add the coupon code to your Facebook Ads account

6. Create your ad and use the coupon

That’s all

P/s: As they said that the first 20,000 business owners to sign up will get a coupon, I have just tested and it’s still available.

Dear Ng:

Thank you for joining the Visa Business Network! To help you grow your business,
we’re giving you a $100 coupon good towards Facebook advertising credit. Your
coupon must be redeemed and used by 10/31/2008.

Your coupon code is: xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

If this is your first time advertising with us, you can create your first ad and redeem your coupon at:
http://www.facebook.com/ads/create/?coupon=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

If you are a returning advertiser, you can redeem your coupon by the following:
1. Log into your Facebook Ads account at http://www.facebook.com/ads/manage/?act=xxxxxx
2. Click on the “Billing” at the top of the Ads Manager.
3. Click on the “Funding Sources” tab on the Billing Summary page.
4. Click on “Enter Coupon Code” and enter your code as shown above.

Thanks for joining The Visa Business Network!

Sincerely,

The Facebook Ads Team

PROMOTIONAL TERMS: The promotional coupon code and the advertising credits are valid only for purchase of advertising through Facebook’s online advertising system. May only be redeemed by Facebook users who add the Visa Application. Advertisers will be charged for advertising that exceeds the promotional credit. Advertisers will need to suspend their ads if they do not wish to receive additional charges beyond the free credit amount. Subject to ad approval, valid registration and acceptance of the generally applicable Facebook Advertising Terms and Conditions. The promotional coupon code and advertising credits are non-transferable and may not be sold or bartered. Offer may be revoked at any time for any reason by Facebook. One promotional coupon code per individual. Promotional coupon code equals $100.00 USD which can be applied to the purchase of advertising through Facebook’s online advertising system. Offer valid only for sign ups using the coupon code or URL link received upon adding the Visa Application. Expires 90 days from date the Visa Application is added to the Facebook account.

Digital Chocolate : Pyramid Bloxx

With Pyramid Bloxx develops Digitally Chocolate nowadays a successor to her title Tower Bloxx. At least historically seen, besides, it concerns a "Prequel", because the play leads you back in old Egypt. Their task in this Knobelei is to establish successively three pyramids. You must carry to it first in a skill play suitable stones from the mines and polish possibly their edges. Now it is tossed: depending on her material blocks must border on filing on a certain number of polished edges. Only if a pyramid has a high material quality, it counts as concluded

Medal Of Honor by Electronic Arts

It's time to mobilise for the best-selling WWII franchise ever. Do you have it in you to become the hero the war effort is crying out for? Alone behind enemy lines, you must recover information about the V2 rocket and sabotage the operation to build it. Battle through six intense missions in war-torn city streets and heavily guarded buildings using melee attack, rifle, sniper scope and machine guns. Peace depends on the outcome of this operation, soldier. Do you have what it takes?

Features :
- Do you have it in you? - Heroes are simply ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances. It's time to mobilise and test your mettle in combat on the bestselling WWII franchise ever.
- Itchy trigger finger? - Intuitive controls mean anyone can play, whether you are a Medal of Honor novice or a hardened veteran soldier.
- Stunning graphics - Lose yourself in the heat of battle with detailed animations and cinematic cut scenes.
- Death or glory - Get the job done quickly and make it out alive, and there may be a medal awarded for your performance.
- Save the day - Sabotage the dreaded V2 rocket production line to change the course of the entire war.

Unlocked brand new apple 3g iphone 8gb

This Company is Registerd and Legitimate With a Work Force of Over 30 Staffs and 10 R & the Research Engineers that always

make sure that all products are delivered in good condition.We supply many other electronic products, such as portable DVD,

car DVD, MP3, MP4, LCD TV, plasma TV, CD ROM, DVD writer,windows XP, office 2003 Software, IP phone, USB phone, bluetooth

earphone, bluetooth USB dongle, etc. We are using this medium to look for buyers of mobile phones, we are offering Very low

discounts with free shipment for mobile phones and laptops, place your order with your full address, zipcode, and phone

contact numbers to Enable issue your proformal invoice and process your shipment.

Our phones are imported from Finland,Hungary and United State of America; they are factory sealed with original packets with

complete accessory, e.g. charger, extra battery and software c d. The phones are simfree and it's never lock to any network,

specification: (europeans/usa-specifications) general network gsm 900/gsm 1800/gsm 1900 platform - tri band (gsm900 + 1800 +
1900 MHz: country of manufactured origin: Finland,Hungary and Singapore.

NOTE : If you Order : 3 unit,you will get 1 free
Shipping fees for 3units : free Shipping : FedEx, DHL or UPS
Delivery Time : 2/3 days

COMPANY ADDRESS
----------------
THE ALBANY BOATHOUSE, LOWER HAM ROAD,
KINGSTON UPON THAMES,
SURREY,
KT2 5BB
UNITED KINGDOM

contact us at...legenticmobileplaza@hotmail.com
contact name.....desmond rooney


Mobile/cell phones,Games,Apple I-Pods...


====================
APPLE IPHONES
====================
Apple Iphone 16GB 3G version..........$200
Apple iphone 8gb 3G version ...........$150

Apple Iphone 16GB {firmware 1.1.4}..........$170
Apple iphone 8gb {firmware 1.1.4}...........$120


THE MOQ IS 2UNITS FOR THE IPHONES



32GB Apple iTouch.....................$250
16GB Apple iTouch.....................$200
8GB Apple iTouch.....................$170



Htc shift.............................$300usd
Htc advantage..................$280usd
Htc cruise........................$250usd
Htc Tytn 8225 .................$230usd
Htc tytn II kaiser.............$280usd


==================
NOKIA PHONES...
==================
Nokia AEON for.....$300usd
Nokia 8800 saphaire........$300usd
Nokia E90 for......$250usd
Nokia N93i for....$250usd
Nokia N810 PDA Internet Tablet for.....$270usd
Nokia N95 8gb for ....$350 usd
Nokia 8800 sirocco..$220usd

Nokia vertu.........$220usd
Nokia 7900 prism..$300usd
Nokia 7500 prism..$250usd
Nokia 8600 luna....$220usd
Nokia 6500 slide....$250usd
Nokia 6500 classic.$290usd
nokia E60 for.....$190 usd
nokia E61 for.....$200 usd



Nokia n75 for..... $270usd
nokia N93 for.....$220 usd

Nokia n92 for ....$180 usd
Nokia n91 for.....$170 usd
Nokia n80 for.....$150usd

Nokia n83 for..... $205usd
Nokia n73 for..... $190usd

Nokia n71 for..... $155usd
Nokia n70 for.... .$135usd
Nokia 9300 for .....$160usd
Nokia 9500 for... ..$160usd


nokia 7373 for.....$150 usd
nokia 6300 for.....$180 usd
nokia 5200 for.....$140 usd
nokia 5300 for.....$160 usd



===============
PIONEERS
===============

Pioneer PDP - 504CMX in Flat Panel Plasma TV $600usd
Panasonic TH-50PHD8UK 50 in Flat Panel Plasma TV $800
Panasonic TH-42PWD8UK 42 in Flat Panel Plasma TV $500
Pioneer PureVision PDP-5060HD 50 in Flat Panel Plasma TV $900
Panasonic TH-42PHD8UK 42 in Flat Panel Plasma TV $500
Panasonic Onyx TH50PX500U 50 in Flat Panel Plasma TV $700

=======================
PALM TREO PHONES...
=======================

Treo 750v(No athena) for .....$240usd
Treo 680 for .....$250usd

Treo 700wx for .....$170usd
Treo 650 for .$150usd
Treo 700w for .....$180usd

============================
SONY ERICSSON PHONES....
============================

Sony ericsson w850i for.. $210usd
Sony ericcson p990i for.... $250usd
sony ericsson p910i for...$170usd
Sony ericsson K800i for ..$240 usD

Sony ericsson w800 for.. $190usd

Sony ericsson W950 for... $230usd
Sony ericsson Z800 for.. $230usd
Sony ericsson p800 for.. $200usd
Sony ericsson w900i for... $220usd

====================
Sidekicks Price List :
====================

Dian von Furstenberg sidekick 3 $250
D-Wade Sidekick 3 ....$200
LRG Sidekick 3.......... $180
Sidekick 3................. $150
Sidekick 2................... $120
Pink couture sidekick 2.. $160
Mr Cartoon sidekick ..$150

==========================
I-MATE JAS JAR PHONES.
==========================

I-Mate JAQ FOR...$240USD
I-Mate JAQ3 FOR ..$215USD
I-Mate JASJAM FOR ...$200USD

I-Mate JAMin for...$205 usd.
I-Mate K-JAM FOR $220 USD
PDA2K FOR....$200USD
SP3I FOR $18

===================
SAMSUNG PHONES
===================

Samsung F700 .........$280
Samsung U700 .........$300
Samsung U600 .........$250
Samsung P920 .........$200
Samsung I830 ............$150
Samsung Serene SGH-E910.....$190
Samsung S401i ...........$180
Samsung D870 e.........$170
Samsung Z710 ..........$175
Samsung p900 e......$201
Samsung p860 ......$180


=============
TOM TOM
=============

TOM TOM GO 510...........$200usD
TOM TOM GO 700...........$220usD
TOM TOM GO 910...........$280usD
TOM TOM GO 300...........$190usD

=====================
BLACK BERRY......
=====================

blackberry 7130e $220usd
blackberry 7100g $210usd
blackberry 7100i $200usd

blackberry 8700c $200usd
blackberry 8700r $200usd
blackberry 7130g $210usd

blackberry 7100t $200usd
blackberry 7230 $210usd
blackberry 7290 $210usd
blackberry 8700f $230usd

======================
MOTOROLA PHONES....
======================

Motorola rokr e1 for... $170usd
Motorola v3x for ......$170usd
Motorola slvr l7 for... $190usd
Motorola q for ....$150usd
Motorola v8 for .....$190usd
Motorola v600 for ...$100usd
Motorola v3C for ...$160usd


=====================
02 PHONES
=====================

02 Phones o2 xDA Exec ........ $200
02 XDA Atom ........ $160
02 XDA NEO ........ $180
02 XDA mini S ....... $200
02 XDA II mini ...... $150
02 XDA IIi ......... $130
02 XDA IIs ......... $140
O2 X2i ......... $100
02 X4 ......... $110
02 X3 ......... $105
02 x7 ......... $120

=============
Ipods...
=============

Apple 30 GB ipod photo m9829ll/s...$90.00
Apple 512 mb ipod shuffle mp3 player ......$95.00
Apple 4 GB ipod mini blue ...$75.00

Apple 6 GB ipod mini green ....$90.00
New apple 60 GB video ipod....$170.00
New apple 30 GB video ipod....$150.00

=========================
Video Games Price List :
=========================

Playstation 1 console......$120usd
Playstation 2 console......$150usd
Playstation 3 console......$200usd

Nintendo Wii...............$230usd
XBox 360 Console - Core System ....$200usd
Xbox 360 Console - Premium Pack ....$210usd

iPhone 3G will be available in India from Aug 22, 2008

Bharati Airtel just now issued a press release saying they will start selling the much awaited iPhone 3G in India from August 22. Airtel has not revealed the price yet, iPhone 3G will be available at any of the Airtel relationship centers in the country.

Sony Ericsson C902 to be James Bond’s latest phone

The C902 Cyber-shot™ phone is used throughout the film by James Bond to capture evidence and assist the agent on his mission. The 5MP camera, with a unique slide-out lens cover, illuminated touch icons providing quick and easy access to camera options, Face detection, Photo flash and Auto focus enables James Bond to send high resolution shots back to MI6 for quick recognition of his enemies. The phone also offers BestPic™ which allows users to take nine pictures of a moving object simultaneously and choose the best shot to use, plus Picture blogging for uploading photos to blogsites and PictBridge

Skype now available for Windows Mobile 6.1

Skype has finally been updated to run of Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. Window Mobile 6.1 devices are spawning recently and it was about time to add support for those too. You can download Skype 2.2.0.45 here both in .exe and .cab variant

Sony Ericsson W760

A Global Walkman phone, Rich in Multimedia features. The Sony Ericsson W760 will feature a relatively large 2.2″ display with QVGA resolution. Packed in the relatively small dimensions of 103 x 48 x 15 mm and weighting 103g the Sony Ericsson W760 will also feature Bluetooth with A2DP support.

Nokia N series Fusions challenger Videos

As we reported about the Nokia N series Fusions challenge happenning in India, here is what we have received, 2 Gsmhacks.com members have participated on this one, and are looking confident to win. (check these videos, Nalini From Delhi & Akshay From Mumbai) They are bound to Get Famous here! Are you a part of it? Do you want to challenge them? Do you want to play this game & Win? Check out the Videos

Lg Ks360

Amazing New Cell phone by LG, LG KS360 which has QWERTY keyboard, also supports touch screen dialing.

Sony Ericsson C902 Cyber Shot

Sony Ericsson C902 with 5 megapixel camera and digital zoom upto 16X.

Nokia N78 Preview

Nokia N78 is officially out, this is another amazing A-GPS integrated mobile phone that includes a 3.2MP camera featured with Carl Zeiss optics.

LG Chocolate 3 clamshell

The LG Chocolate 3, new clamshell is priced at $129.99 with a 2-year commitment and a mail-in rebate on Verizon.