Caleb and Reagan’s Blog

I’ve been giving micro-blogging a shot on Twitter. My user name is calebgroom. Next I need to look for a plugin to sync up content that I put on twitter with my blog.

I saw this sign at the gas station in the HEB parking lot in San Antonio, Texas about a month ago. The hand written note pretty much tells the story.

During our long road trip last night somehow the topic of Girl Scout cookies came up. In my thirst for random knowledge that will never repay the space that I rent it in my brain, here’s the most popular cookies:

1. Thin Mints (25% of total sales)
2. Samoas (Caramel DeLites) (19%)
3. Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties) (13%)
4. Do-si-dos (Peanut Butter Sandwiches) (11%)
5. Trefoils (Shortbread) (9%)

I’m sure I’ll commit these stats to memory and somehow and can’t remember the zip code from our last apartment.

Source: Wikipedia

The other varieties combined account for the remaining 23%.

One of the main features of the iPhone is its built in browser that is ready to surf real websites, not cut down versions designed for mobile phones. From the Apple marketing material:

“iPhone lets you see web pages the way they were designed to be seen”

However, the popularity of the iPhone has led to an increase in mobile versions of websites that are designed to play nice with the smaller screens and slower connections. This isn’t a new idea but the increase in popularity cannot be denied.

Here’s my list of mobile sites that I visit on my phone:

• m.cnn.com
• m.si.com
• m.flickr.com
• m.youtube.com
• espn.go.com/mobileespn
• google.com/m
• google.com/reader/m/view - Google Reader is one of my absolute favorite applications on the iPhone.
• mobile.fandango.com - I use Fandango to check movie times and locations. You can also buy tickets through the website.
• gasbuddytogo.com - Check for the lowest gas prices in your area

I’ve found that a number of websites are checking your User-Agent and then directing you to the mobile version of their site if you appear to be on a common mobile device.

If this a passing fad?  Will common webapps like WordPress come preconfigured with mobile versions in the future?

On the way home from work today I heard Radio Rookies: ‘Aging Out’ of Foster Care on NPR. Its a twelve minute story of a young girl who was placed into foster care after her father murdered her mother.

To hear this girl talk about why she wants to have a baby (to have a family) was pretty troubling and contrary to the thinking that I am surrounded by on a daily basis. And that’s why I love NPR - it takes me to places I’ve never been.

When I was 16 my VHS player always had a tape loaded. I would watch the early morning editions of SportsCenter and keep an eye out for a funny story or amazing highlight. If I found one then I would record that part of SportsCenter onto my tape when the show re-aired an hour later. Before there was YouTube there was my VHS recording. That was when SportsCenter meant Keith Olbermann and Dan Patrick, Kenny Mayne and Charley Steiner.

Since then SportsCenter has turned into an hour long advertisement for Coors Light and studio analysts who are only on the set to argue with the other analyst. I long for the good old days.

They may be getting closer.

According to Le Anne Schreiber the producers at ESPN are making significant changes:

While on vacation last month, I recorded 10 day’s worth of 9 a.m. “SportsCenters,” beginning Feb. 15, so I could catch up on the sports news upon my return. I approached the task of review reluctantly, regarding it as punishment for taking time off. Once I plunged in, though, I was amazed to find myself enjoying hour after hour of “SportsCenter.”

They were not crisp, clean half-hours, but far more often than not, they were crisp, clean hours dominated by highlights and news, with remarkably few gimmicks, sponsored segments, cross-promotions or padding of any kind.

Schreiber, who’s job is to provide independent examination and analysis of ESPN’s media outlets, has the complete story hosted at
ESPN.com.

Last week I washed my car for the first time in a looonnnggg time. After a quick trip to San Angelo I returned to find my car looking the worst it ever has. Thanks to John Strunk I found out why. John posted a picture of his truck on Flickr:

Here’s the scoop from the San Antonio Express-News:

The dirty drops of rain splattering cars across the city doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world.

According to the National Weather Service the mixture isn’t mud, but ash.

The source of the smoky rain is a large fire in Central Mexico, near Mexico City, said weather forecaster Joe Baskin.

There could be dust from dust storms out of Monterrey in the rain, Baskin said, but the significant part comes from the smoke.

Last weekend Reagan and I went with Beth and Brian to the Witte Museum to see OUR BODY: The Universe Within. The exhibit contains 20 actual complete human specimens. Mmmmm…tasty:

According to their website all of the bodies originated from China:

All of the anatomical specimens contained in Our Body: The Universe Within originate from China and have been provided for the exhibit consistent with the laws of China. The anatomical specimens are not owned by the exhibitors, but are provided by a Chinese foundation to promote educational and medical research of the human body. While we do not have the specific identity of each anatomical specimen, they have been donated through medical schools and other research facilities in China to promote education, science and medical research of the human body.

The exhibit will be in San Antonio until May 26th.

I took in 10 books today to sell. The combined retail value of these books is well over $200, probably closer to $300. One of them still carries the $76.00 sticker price. When I heard the loud speaker call out my name I was full of excitement. My offer was ready. I thought, “How much will I get? I could really use $50 in my pocket!”

“Two dollars, sir”, from the man behind the counter. I think he probably began to explain why but the message was lost in my growing desire to climb over the counter.

“Total?”, I asked. He quickly confirmed and I made the walk of shame out of the store with the same number of books that I had entered with.

With the Super Bowl two weeks from today here are some fun facts about the big game. Source: NFL 2007 Postseason Media Guide unless otherwise noted.

- A visitor to South Florida typically spends $146-$245 daily on hotels, meals, local transport and entertainment. For Super Bowl XLI visitors spent $668.60 daily, not including game tickets.

- The historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay was built in 1957. This football shrine is the oldest stadium still in use by an NFL club. The next oldest? San Francisco’s Monster Park was a built a year later.

- The San Francisco 49ers are the only organization to win more than two Super Bowls without losing one. They are 5-0. Four belong to Joe Montana, one for Steve Young.

- The next three Super Bowl host cities are Arizona (this year), Tampa, and Miami. Dallas will host Super Bowl XLV in their newly built stadium in 2011.

- No offensive players other than quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs have ever been a Super Bowl MVP.

- Super Bowl weekend is the slowest weekend for weddings (Source: USA Today)

- San Francisco police reported arrests for minor crimes dropped from an average of 360 daily to 96 on the day of Super Bowl XVI between the 49ers and
Cincinnati Bengals.

- According to the Associated Press, 80 percent of Super Bowl ticket holders are in executive, management, professional, or sales positions; 35 percent attend the game on corporate expense accounts; 27 percent own their own companies; 25 percent are corporate officers; and 22 percent are on boards of directors.

- For Super Bowl XXXIV, 17 of the 60 ads during the broadcast were bought by Internet companies, compared with 1 for Super Bowl XXXI in 1997. (Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

- For Super Bowl XXXVI Fox used 27 TV cameras. For a typical broadcast they used 12.

- The first four Super Bowls did not use the roman numeral notation.

- You could buy a ticket to Super Bowl I for $6. The cheapest face value ticket this year is $700.

- While the final episode of M*A*S*H is the most viewed television show of all time (Feb. 28, 1983), 8 of the top 15 most viewed shows are Super Bowls.