This weekend I bought an Apple AirPort Extreme to replace my old Linksys Access Point. The main reason I switch to the AirPort Extreme is that it has a USB port, so I can connect my printer to it and print from anywhere it the house. Here's some details of the project:
Buy AirPort Extreme at Apple Store in Cherry Creek Mall
Go home
Drink some water (I was thirsty)
Unpack AirPort Extreme
Plug AirPort Extreme into network and power outlet
Configure AirPort Extreme from my Powerbook (really straight forward)
Unplug Linksys AP
Plug printer into AirPort Extreme
Test printing via network
There's no step 10!
That's it. It was a pretty straight forward process. Really quite simple in the end.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An interceptor missile failed to launch early Wednesday in what was to have been the first full flight test of the U.S. national missile defense system in nearly two years.
The Missile Defense Agency has attempted to conduct the test several times this month, but scrubbed each one for a variety of reasons, including various weather problems and a malfunction on a recovery vessel not directly related to the equipment being tested.
A target missile carrying a mock warhead was successfully launched as scheduled from Kodiak, Alaska, at 12:45 a.m. EST, in the first launch of a target missile from Kodiak in support of a full flight test of the system.
However, the agency said the ground-based interceptor "experienced an anomaly shortly before it was to be launched" from the Ronald Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the central Pacific Ocean 16 minutes after the target missile left Alaska.
I have absolutely no experience in this arena, but here's my prediction for the outcome of the 2004 Presidential Election. Kerry wins both popular vote and electoral vote. Popular vote will be around 51% nation-wide for Kerry, with Bush at 48% and the various third parties bringing in the last 1%. (I doubt that Nader will muster 0.5% nation-wide.) The electoral college will send Kerry to the White House with 306 votes and Bush will wrap up the remaining 232.
The breakdown of states will be (from west to east) Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Florida, The District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine all going to Kerry, earning him 306 electoral votes. Bush will end up with Alaska, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado (sigh), New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota Nebraska, Kansas, Okalahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina, earning him 232 electoral votes.
That's it. I have no idea if I'll be right, but this is what my gut is telling me.
So I went to the Pixies show tonight with Allison, which was a blast. I really think that for most of the show, the Pixies totally phoned it in, but I'm still glad I went.
I guess for my money (which uh... was $0 tonight, cause Allison bought the tickets) I'd like the performers to care about the crowd. The Pixies came out and just hammered through their set. I can recall only one instance during the show when they weren't playing straight through, and Kim Deal said, "Thank you for coming to the show tonight."
It was still a blast though. I mean... the Pixies. I have never seen 'em live before, and I'm guessing I'll never have the chance again. All the hits. They started strong, nailing "Where Is My Mind?" in the second spot. And they powered through "Debaser," "Here Comes Your Man," "Monkey Gone To Heaven" and so many others. And they picked up one of my favorites, "Gigantic" in the encore. All in all a sweet set. No doubt about it.
The point? I guess the point is that Frank Black (or Black Francis), Kim Deal and Joey Santiago all get to cash big fat checks, and I get to spend two hours listening to some great live music. I suppose that works out well for all parties invovled.
I know I have a number of techie (read: geeky) friends who read this, so I have a quick question. How good is the AirPort Express? I've been considering buying one of these for a while, cause I think AirTunes sounds mad cool. The idea of being able to stream music from my PowerBook to my home stereo without being tethered is just too sweet... and it's such a small package! But I'm hedging, cause seems like a lot of money to spend right now, given that I have this huge new expense -- the house.
So here's the question... does anybody out there have one of these nifty little gadgets? If so, what do you think of it? Does it work well? Is it worth the cost? (Strangers are, of course, welcome to answer too.)