Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

cargo pants? what is this 1997

in all honesty, i wanted the itouch for the calendar/task managment fuction as much as the net. i have to play with one to be sure, and they never have any at best buy

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
cargo pants? what is this 1997

What else are you going to wear with your GBV shirts?

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
in all honesty, i wanted the itouch for the calendar/task managment fuction as much as the net. i have to play with one to be sure, and they never have any at best buy

There's got to be 8 eight Apple Stores within 50 miles of DC…

Anyhow, I picked my next phone over the weekend (assuming Sprint doesn't tie it to the "Everything Plan" like they did with the Instinct) and I never thought to think if it had wifi because I use Sprints EVDO network, but it does have wifi eliminating any need for Touch.

Well, eliminating the need for a Touch from Apple at least.

white belts

Originally posted by vansmack:

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
in all honesty, i wanted the itouch for the calendar/task managment fuction as much as the net. i have to play with one to be sure, and they never have any at best buy

There's got to be 8 eight Apple Stores within 50 miles of DC…

Anyhow, I picked my next phone over the weekend (assuming Sprint does tie it to the "Everything Plan" like they did with the Instinct) and I never thought to think if it had wifi because I use Sprints EVDO network, but it does have wifi eliminating any need for Touch.

Well, eliminating the need for a Touch from Apple at least.

honestly, i havent made a special trip, but we were going to best buys for wii fit for awhile there. my whole thing about iphone/pda phones is i go through phones like once a year. i just know i'd break it. that and the extra $30 a month

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
white belts

Awesome.

I was thinking about getting a new belt, but then I felt that I would be missing a little something in my life.

speaking of….

from the comments section of the brooklyn vegan's discussion of the APW schedule:

Take your white belt and wrap it around your neck pussy

i fear that the image of the white belt has escaped your control, smax.

It would have been better if the poster had said H&M scarf, but I fear you're right.

David Pogue's Gadget list of 2008

Camera: Nikon D80
Camcorder: Canon HV30
Cellphone: LG8700
Computer (laptop): MacBook Air
Computer (desktop): Dell Inspiron 530s
Mobile Internet: Sierra Compass 597
Movies: Vudu box
Car: Toyota Prius
DVR: TiVo Series 3

And to compare and contrast…

Smackie's Gadget list of 2008

Camera: We have two, Canon Powershot S5 and the Sony DsC-H50. Smackette is the photographer of the family, and I simply guided her into what she was looking for.

Camcorder: No kids = no camcorder.

Cellphone: I have two: A (still) working Motorola RAZR on it's original battery and a Motorola Q. Hopefully it will be replaced by an HTC Diamond Touch next month or a complete switch from Sprint by Oct 1 (iPhone 3g?).

Computer (laptop): I use Smackette's Toshiba A105 since I burned my VAIO to the ground. I will be replacing it with a netbook in a matter of weeks (probably the Dell E-Series). I do envy David's MacBook Air, but I don't like the price point for the reduction in power. Call me silly, but if I get less, I want to pay less.

Computer (desktop): Well, since the desktop is dead, all we have is a Windows Home Server. I do love my Dell Studio Hybrid at the office though. Small, power saving, but powerful.

Mobile Internet: I'm going to strike "mobile" and just say internet because the Sierra Compass 597 is all we have (of course I was smart enough to add a router CTR-350 by Counterpoint), and like David I love it. Come on WiMax!

Movies: Windows Home Server again through the Xbox 360. Ripped all the DVDs to the Server, stream them through the 360.

Car: Also a Toyota Prius, and also before the waiting list, but just barely.

DVR: DirecTV HR20-700. I miss my TiVo sometimes, but not as much as I'd miss having over 100 HD channels, MLB Package, Sunday Ticket, Setanta and XM radio all in one box.

What are other folks using these days?

This has nothing to do with this thread, and perhaps someone might have already mentioned this (I wasn't going to read through 3846 pages of replies,) but…

…every time I read the post's title, I immediately think of Mitch Hedberg and laugh to myself.

"Smackie the Frog…."

Originally posted by mr. pretentious:


"Smackie the Frog…."

You sir, are the first.

Well done.

Camera: Canon something or other, nothing fancy
Camcorder: none
Cellphone: LG VX9900 (enV orange)
Computer (laptop): MacBook Pro, Dell Inspiron B130, and an old dell inspiron for ie6 testing
Computer (desktop): Old Dell Dimension 2350, Mac Mini (desktop? more like tv side)
Mobile Internet: nada 3000
Movies: have moved some to an external harddrive that I watch via the mac mini, but mostly blu ray on the ps3
Car: 1999 Toyota Camry
DVR: Fios multiroom hd dvr

Only Russia would start a war on the opening day of the Olympics, when no one else is watching.

This very well might be the greatest thing I've ever seen. I want one.

Moving LEGO Donkey Kong, People. Donkey F'ing Kong

I could probably come up with stuff like this if I had friends like GGW.

iPhone 3G users…help CNET troubleshoot reception issues.

Originally posted by vansmack:
Only Russia would start a war on the opening day of the Olympics, when no one else is watching.

Alright, so what do you need to need to know about Russia and Georgia to entertain at a cocktail party?

First, donâ??t be that guest at a cocktail party. Second, Georgiaâ??s President Mikheil Saakashvili was monumentally stupid for doing what he did, but weâ??ll get to that.

So Georgia and Russia havenâ??t liked each other for nearly 100 years, probably more, but itâ??s an interesting dislike as prominent Russian leaders have come from Georgia. All the experts would have predicted that the initial flare up between the two would have happened in a different separatist province of Georgia known as Abkhazia. Abkhazia was originally a Soviet Republic under the Bolsheviks, but Stalin was Georgian and upon taking power he gave Abkhazia to Georgia in the early 30â??s. Theyâ??ve been bickering ever since.

Abkhazia composes about half of the Georgian coastline on the Red Sea and is very important to Georgia. Itâ??s also very strategic for Russia â?? Georgia is the last remaining western-friendly (at the moment) country on the Black Sea (the status of Turkey being currently in flux) â?? a main East-West route for oil and gas pipelines.

<img src="http://www.maria.trombly.com/articles/abkhazia.jpg" alt=" - " />

So what the hell does South Ossetia have to do with anything? Ossetia, like Abkhazia, has never really felt part of Georgia. They speak their own language, used to be independent, and were only added to the Georgian Republic arbitrarily (and reluctantly) in the early 20â??s as the Soviet Union was being â??built.â? Upon the demise of the Union, tensions started immediately and have gone on to this day. Russia currently arms the separatists and props up their economy via the black market, much to the chagrin of the Georgians.

So why now? This is where Saakashvili was incredibly stupid. Georgia has been trying to join the EU and NATO for quite some time. This is perceived as disastrous by Russia, who tried to get a pro-Russia candidate elected back in May. After Saakashvili was re-elected, it signaled trouble for Russiaâ??s hopes of oil and gas dominance of Europe. If the west can bypass Russiaâ??s dominance of the Caspian Sea by going through Georgia, it negates Russiaâ??s bargaining power. After failed negotiations, NATO and the EU agreed to discuss joining the union in December â?? a timetable that was apparently too late for Saakashvili.

Russia has had tanks on both the border along Abkhazia and Ossetia for some time, waiting for a moment to move in, and Saakashvili provided them that moment. He began to shell Ossetia as the Olympics began â?? perhaps at a moment when Western Leaders were with Putin or at a time when the rest of the world is focused on relations. Russia immediately responded in both Ossetia and Abkhazia, and then went on to attempt to embarrass Saakashvili amongst his constituents by pummeling him elsewhere in Georgia.

So what can the west do? Nothing other than help negotiate peace. With no official diplomatic ties to Georgia, NATO canâ??t help them and the EU wonâ??t help them. Georgiaâ??s location provides them with no clear EU neighbors and virtually no military presence to help them. Russia (cleverly, I might add) has cited Kosovo as justification for doing what theyâ??re doing in Ossetia (never mind the fact that Russia has failed recognize Kosovo as an independent nation) - of course this paints them into a box if Ossetia continues their desire to secede from Georgia just about forcing them to recognize Kosovoâ??s independence. Russia would surely block any move by the UN to come to the aid of Georgia, so you can count them out leaving Georgia virtually on their own (and totally overmatched).

So where does that leave us? As long as Russia does not continue into Georgia further than Ossetia, weâ??re probably right where we started in August with an embarrassed Saakashvili and nervous other Caucus countries who now fear Russiaâ??s military power (and clear imperialist ambitions). Russia probably gains a tremendous amount of influence over Abkhazia and Ossetia and there is no way Georgia will be allowed to join the EU or NATO anytime soon for fear of provoking Russia. If Russia does continue to Tbilisi (the capital of Georgia), weâ??re facing a nervous Europe who may have to reluctantly go to war with Russia.

Either way, the west is pretty unhappy with both Saakashvili and Putin/Medveydev and the stability of the region might be at its worst since the wall fall. Good times.

Hey! When is the last time we had a new smackie corollary?

Look, I'm not getting any younger, so I'm already planning my demise. And when I turn 50, a friend and I have a new plan.

The 100 Rule.

The combined age of me and anybody I sleep with cannot exceed 100. As I get older, they have to get younger.

Can't wait.

I love it when Xmas comes in August….

<img src="http://www.economist.com/images/20080816/20080816issuecovUS400.jpg" alt=" - " />

Don't bother me this weekend. I'm geeking.

How will Smackette get younger?

Originally posted by vansmack:
Hey! When is the last time we had a new smackie corollary?

Look, I'm not getting any younger, so I'm already planning my demise. And when I turn 50, a friend and I have a new plan.

The 100 Rule.

The combined age of me and anybody I sleep with cannot exceed 100. As I get older, they have to get younger.

Can't wait.