I’m an Apple computer supporter. I’m just going to get that out of the way, since so many people aren’t. I read Thinksmart every few days, keep myself apprised of the Apple Slashdot news (and all other Slashdot news). Part of the news from both places is always the rumors of what is coming down the pipeline at the upcoming Macworld SF conference in a couple weeks. It’s amazing the rumors that get put out - from an Apple phone (i’ll beleive that when I see it) to a video ipod (don’t hold your breath) to more possible items such as flash based ipods and larger hard drives in the other model ipods. Today I heard a rumor that I really hope to be true. The rumor talks about a low-end mac computer that, unlike the imac and emac, won’t have a built in screen. Basically what it sounds like is they are going to release a pizza boz style machine for all those PC users who’ve bought ipods this year and are interested in what an Apple computer would be like but are scared by the $1000-$3000 price tags.

When I heard about this rumor, I immediately thought about an article I read last year from Wired.com about an engineer from Minnesota that was going to start building his own “mac clone”. The article included this stylish design image which shows that the ibox would look like. Unfortunately the machine never materialized, due mainly to the fact that Apple was breathing down his back about it. Now, perhaps, Apple has taken his idea of building a low-cost “headless” mac and made it their own. The other rumor floating around about this machine is that it is supposed to be a rival to the Windows Media Center PC’s that are reaching the market from HP and company. This seems less likely, but just as entertaining. Time will tell.

The Google gods have blessed my inbox with more Gmail invites to pass on to those lucky few who get them first. Due to the issue I had from the last round of Gmail invites this round is being done a little differently. Take a peak into the comments section and you will find that which you are searching for (note: this sentence is only true if it is a Gmail invite you are looking for.

Enjoy!

re-Update: I’ve got 26 Gmail invites 46 Gmail invites 50 Gmail invites currently available in the comments.

Imagine it, you’re on vacation to celebrate the holidays. You’re out on the beach enjoying a beautiful day outdoors when suddenly the tide pulls a couple hundred yards out to see. “How curious” you say to your self as you stand up to get a better look. As you stare toward the horizon, you notice every boat headed for the beach at full throttle. That’s when you see what they are running from - a wall of water 30′ high coming at you with the speed of a modern airliner.

You turn…try to run up the beach hoping to get above the water but before you can find safety the water has knocked you off your feet and your life is now in the hands of mother nature and any god you might believe in.

That scenario sends cold chills up my spine and it was reality for so many thousands of people on the coasts at the Indian ocean. The numbers are staggering and a little hard to comprehend. 70,000+ people dead. That number is mesmerizing. That number will only climb as disease from the standing water all around will undoubtedly take many more lives.

Also, the fact that a relief effort has sprung up so quickly is so impressive to me. All these organizations have buckled their seatbelts to head to one of the worst disasters our world has scene in some time is admirable. I wish there was more that I could do. CNN has a list of Aid organizations that are accepting donations to help the people in the affected regions of the earthquake and following tsunamis. I made a donation to Americares which i’ve heard does a pretty good job of keeping it’s overhead costs low to allow more of your donation go to actually help. So, please if you can manage to make a small donation to any of those organizations, do it.

Well, President Bush has finally just made a statement regarding the destruction caused on the 26th. A full 3 days after the tragedy. Way to take your time Mr. President.

Here we are coming into the last week before Christmas and in a shocking display of planning and genius on my part, my holiday shopping is done. I think. I’m never one to be done shopping until the very last minute and I complain about it every year. Not this time though, 3 days after Thanksgiving, I was hitting the stores (I figured it was after the main suicidal rush that occurs the day after the turkey). It was, but I still wanted to stick a Ginsu knife in my temple. And I could have, since they were on sale! I hate shopping. A lot.

Tomorrow evening my mom is having a Christmas party at her house. Which makes me wonder which alien race abducted my mom and replaced her with a robot because my mom has NEVER thrown a holiday party. I’m a little scared that little gray men will jump out from behind the tree and try to analy probe me. Unpleasant thought. Other than the possibility for probing, it should be pretty entertaining. It’s only a small group of people and I get along with them all. My aunt is coming out for the party from South Carolina with her two kids, so I have to do some wrapping before tomorrow afternoon. Another one of the holiday traditions, besides shopping, that i’m not fond of. I swear there is a gene in my body which prevents me from wrapping a present without the use of 2 rolls of scotch tape, an elite group of military specialists, and a detailed design schematic. I swear i’m incompetent when it comes to wrapping gifts. Eventually I give up and just cut the paper about 4 times as large as I need to and tie it so that it looks something like a pineapple.

On a completely different subject I started re-reading The Screenwriter’s Bible. I’ve got this story in my head that I think has some real potential, so i’m re-reading the book as I write out the story. I’ve got the overall story done but i’m trying to fluch out the supporting characters more and it’s giving me a headache. I don’t want to make the wrong choices and fuck it all up. I wish I could say more about the story but it’s the internet and stuff is stolen off the internet all the time! I don’t want to find out my idea is playing at the local multiplex without me being involved behind it somehow.

Hope everyone has an awesome holiday!

Just wanted to say that my webhose, Vizaweb, totally and completely rocks! I got an IM earlier today alerting me to an issue with my website. Apparently my blog was returning a 404 error page (page doesn’t exist). So I start looking into and find that the directory and all the admin tools are missing for the blog as well. Wierd. So I send off an e-mail to the support staff at Vizaweb and 8 MINUTES LATER i’ve got a response explaining they don’t know what happened and after another e-mail back and forth they say they will put it back using a copy of my site from their daily back-up. I sent them the first e-mail at 5:20pm and my blog was back the way it should have been by 6pm!

Now, they don’t know what happened but they are going to look into the server logs for me to see if they can figure out what happened and they will let me know. Awesome service! Thanks!

I’m sitting here with the TV on, but I’m not watching it. I’m not watching because i’m too busy with this wierd feeling in the pit of my stomach. My cell phone caused this feeling and I don’t know what to do. For some reason I didn’t answer my phone when the number showed up. I don’t know why I didn’t but it wasn’t anyone that was in my phonebook, otherwise it would have showed their name as well. The person that called left a message though, so I checked it to see who it was that called. I didn’t recognize the number, so I wasn’t sure who it was that wanted to talk to me. Turns out, it was my dad.

My dad and I haven’t had the greatest relationship. He and my mom split up when I was 7 or 8. Through my childhood I’d visit him from time to time, but that slowly lessened as I got older. After my grandfather, my dad’s father, died he made an effort to reattach himself into my life. We’d talk on the phone from time to time and it was ackward but nice at the same time.

So now, i’ve listened to his voicemail twice. He sounds…broken. I have this deep feeling of guilt that it’s partly my fault and that I haven’t been a good son to him. I should call him back. I will call him back…but I just can’t gather the nerve to dial the numbers. I don’t know what I would say…how would I apologize for not calling him back the last time he called me? How would I apologize for not answering the phone? Is it possible to fix our relationship? Is it worth it?

I just wish this was easy…