Jake Shimabukuro - While My Guitar Gently Weeps

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This is just a sample of how good this guy is. What you're about to see is Jake Shimabukuro, a ukulele virtuoso from Hawaii. I'd tell you how good he is but you'd better just hit play. If you like what you hear check his site out below and go out and see him in 2007. I'm sure he's touring at a venue close to you.


Seriously folks, it's a ukulele. No tricks. He's actually playing this song.

• Jake's Homepage

Hello Professor. How about a game of chess.

Hello Joshua. On Christmas of this year the IHT published an article about MGM studios battling over wargames. Not the movie, the domain name. The basis of the suit brought against Rogers Cadenhead, owner of the domain, was unauthorized use and registration of a trademarked item. Cadenhead registered the domain in 1998, three years prior to MGM's registration of the trademark.

Today the site is actally being used to sell war games, videos, and books. The movie, a 1983 cold war film about a teenager, played by Matthew Brodrick, who breaks in to a department of defense computer with full access to the nuclear arsenal with command capability over our defense strategy with our primary adversary - communism, debuted in 1983 and it looks like MGM, in 2001, was preparing to come out with a sequel.

I'm confused, but that's ok. What more do we have to say on the subject? Nuclear arsenals and the concept of defense at that level have changed so drastically that we are not nearly as concerned with the actions of nations as we are of factions, and individuals. There aren't treaties that would draw us in to war like they would have over 20 years ago. Besides, if you saw the third Terminator movie, you'd know that Skynet is going to get us anyway.

Merry Freakin' Christmas

Merry Freakin' Christmas people. And I meant that. We've lost our heads here. We're at a point where someone can be admonished for bringing cheer and good wishes to others by using a series of words that are not demeaning, obscene, or negative in anyway. Here's my problem with this problem. More often than not, the phrase's underlying meaning is NOT, "HEY! Celebrate the birth of my savior or burn you heathen." No, it really isn't. More often than not is it an expression of one's desire to share good wishes with the people around them during this most traditional of American seasons.

What's really being said is, "Good wishes upon you. I hope your family is well, you friends plentiful, and your football team does well in the playoffs." Or something like that, I had to do some translation.

It's a greeting, a bringing of good tidings during this season of giving. So whether your greeting is a Happy Kwanza, Happy Chanukah, or Merry Christmas, I say bring it with emphasis of a global citizen of peace on earth and goodwill towards mankind, get off the semantic kick, stop assuming people are out to get you and challenge you and your faith, accept the good wishes, and get on with standing in line at Best Buy hoping against hope that there is just one more Nintendo Wii in the bin in the back with your name on it.

Merry Freakin' Christmas
-dean

Pearl Harbor Day 2006

In this the 65th anniversary of the first day that will forever live in infamy in our short history as a nation I would like to take a moment to give my respect to those who have fallen in that day, and in the days before and since in pursuit and defense of the American way of life. It is through the sacrifices made by men and women in uniforms in all branches of service that allow me to live out a life of my choosing as a civilian. And as such we as members of this society must remember and practice our roles in this republic, speaking up for our selves, understanding the decisions made by those who represent us, and holding them responsible for the same.

A day that will live in infamy, the image of a sinking ship in port, buildings falling within our gates, a sheltered country hit upside the head for ignoring the rest of the world. Cautionary tales and a wake-up call to all of us. But I digress. Today is not a day for celebration, but for commemoration of these events. Solid stepping stones in our history.

If you would be so kind as to take your moment to commemorate this anniversary, lest we forget the events of the past.