iMatt :: The Blog of Matt Clare

Earlier this week Bill Gates was demoing his new media centre PC and got a rude, but familiar suprise. It was in Las Vegas at Consumer Electronics Show (CES), with help from Conan O’Brien, Gates was about to show off the new software a part of his keynote but the soon-to-be-shipped software froze up, despite two attempts. Conan thought it was funny, and he was probably trying to hold it back considering he was on the richest man in the world’s payroll.

Of lesser note, was a blue-screen-of-death that appeared on a new XBoX game, but that’s just a working demo of game, not a should be market ready operating system.

No more CNN crossfire! Too bad I don’t have a catagory called ‘Ding-dong-the-witch-is-dead’, because this one fallls under that one!

CNN’s cross fire has been cancelled, well they fired Tuker Carlson after testing him out behind the news desk all last week. As John Stewart of The Daily Show likes to point out; Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala are both Republican and Democratic hacks that bring no meaningful thought to the debate show. John Stewart famously appearedon Crossfire last fall to tell them ‘to stop’.

The other hosts were the scary-southerner James Carville and the other Republican contributer Bob Novak, who (using Stewart’s words) is a duche bag.

Bob Novak. Not only is Novak generally against rights, he also leaked the identity of a CIA agent to the press to attack her husband politically. That’s right, On July 14, 2003, Robert Novak revealed the name of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame in print after a White House tip. Plame’s husband, former US Ambassador Joseph Wilson IV, had publicly challenged President Bush’s claim that Iraq had tried to buy uranium ore from Africa. Bobbie Novak, from those security minded Republicans, exposed an undercover agent because her husband exposed a fact that contradicted the Republican’s made-up reality. Learn more at BustBob.com or from this article at the Pittsburgh Review.

The Globe and Mail article announcing this quotes Jonathan Klein, chief executive officer of CNN’s, in saying “I guess I come down more firmly in the Jon Stewart camp,” adding “I doubt that when the President sits down with his advisers they scream at him to bring him up to date on all of the issues,” he said. “I don’t know why we don’t treat the audience with the same respect.”

I can’t wait to see the Daily Show at 11:00 tonight on Comedy (12:05 on CTV) to see what Mr. Stewart has to say.

Just got back from the K-os conert at Brock. Saa-heat!!

His band was really tight, especially the guitar and bass, as you have to be to play K-os’s stuff. My favourite moments was when Hit the Road Jack was used to lead into the song with the same beat, Crabbucit!

Other great moments included some freestyle in the middle of the show, with a lot borrowed from Public Enemy by both K-os and the guy on the turn tables. My favouite track, Crucial, was the last track off the album then the broke out the power chords (even Kevin himself rocked with his own guitar). Almost everyone knew all the words, and the their were a good number of people there, especially when you consider that the posters went up on the last day of exams and tickets didn’t go on sale until nine hours before the show!

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the disaster in South Asia by now. I know I received some money over the Christmas holidays and I felt compelled to make a donation, and I hope you do too.

The Red Cross is taking donations on-line, and I’m sure it won’t take you longer than 3 minutes to donate. [Red Cross, How to Donate]

UPDATE: Google now has info on how to help here. Also, globalsecurity.org (a favourite site of mine) has imagery and tsunami information.

It’s cold, the thermometer I keep in my kitchen said it was -15 C^o outside last night and 15C^o inside. The water line to my toilet is frozen because I think it might actually cover every inch of my house’s outside wall. So with all this winter weather out there I thought I’d share my tips for winter driving.

1. All season tires = no season tires. With the cheap foreign labour now available to North America, winter tires and black steal rims are cheaper and easier than you’d think.
2. Keep at least half a tank of gas in you’re tank, no matter what the size. The condensation in the empty tank can freeze and plug-up the fuel line. If this does happen to you either get the car into a warm place or get someone to fill up an emergency can of gas for you and bring it back to you inside the warm car (with a window cracked, and the lid secured, and the safest driving they’ve ever done). This happened to my sister last week and she had to get a tow to Canadian Tire and wait for three hours to have them simply start the car and give it back to her. [[Three years later it looks like this might have more to do with a bad starter than fuel – or my sister]]
3. Ice scrapers, a shovel, washer fluid, oil, a blanket, food etc. are all important to keep in your car.
4. Make sure those windshield wipers are OK. I like to up-size my wipers, as long as they don’t touch when down they’ll be fine. That way you’re not peering around a frame of salt to see traffic lights.
5. Make sure that your coolant is toped up – for the most part your engine should be OK, but you want that heat inside the car!
6. Be sure that your headlights are useful. New bulbs aren’t that expensive, and you’ll feel that much safer once you can see that far down the road. I wonder how some manufactures Chry5ler can get away with selling such dim lights from the factory.

The Ministry of Transportation Ontario has a good winter driving guide. It’s too bad the MTO isn’t very good with web site layout. Here it is: www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/winterdrive/winterdrive.htm