Star Wars Movie Poll

What is your favorite Star Wars movie?
	Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
	Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
	Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
	Star Wars: A New Hope
	Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
	Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
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U2 Album Poll

What is your favorite U2 album?
	How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
	All That You Can't Leave Behind
	Pop
	Achtung Baby
	The Joshua Tree
	The Unforgettable Fire
	War
	October
	Boy
	Zooropa
	Rattle and Hum
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Rock Music Poll

Which rock music band is better?
	The Beatles
	The Rolling Stones
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Mac Browser Poll

Which is the best browser for the Apple Mac platform?
	Safari
	Firefox
	Internet Explorer
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Mac Browser Wars

Despite Firefox being more compatible with Blogger, I am going to stick with Apple Safari 1.3 as my primary browser on my Mac. Safari has the features I want, the buttons look better with Safari, and it may be a bit speedier than Firefox. However, Firefox would not be a bad choice for your internet browser on a Mac. If you have a PC, the best choice for your browser would be Firefox (rather than Internet Explorer).

Where I Swim

The swimming pool, shown above, is where I go swimming. The pool is large enough to do laps, and it is rarely crowded.

I Am Trying Out Firefox

I'm an Apple fan, and I am currently using an Apple Powerbook. However, I am considering switching internet browsers from Apple's Safari to Mozilla Firefox 1.0.6. I am trying out Firefox because it is more compatible with Blogger. From the Blogger "Create" window, I can more easily make bold and italics characters as well as easily make links: www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Firefox is a popular download that I am going to test out for awhile. So far, it offers most of what Safari has. I think Firefox is going to win out over Safari and, if you already haven't, you may want to try Firefox. Firefox is probably better than Safari and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. What has your experience been with Firefox?

Last of the Mall Scenes

More Mall Scenes

Mall Scenes

Does that tree really look natural to you?

I'll Be Going to a Franz Ferdinand Concert

Later this fall, I'll be going to a Franz Ferdinand concert. The seat I have is quite good, and I'll be sure to post on this weblog a concert report.

Upcoming Franz Ferdinand Concert

The Scottish band Franz Ferdinand will be releasing their next album titled "You Could Have It So Much Better. . .with Franz Ferdinand" this autumn. They will be touring the U.K. in August, the United States in September/October, France in October/November, and Germany in November/December. I haven't seen them in concert, and I will try to get tickets, which go on sale later this week. This band seems to be gathering a lot of momentum as they are playing larger and larger venues. Will they make it to arena rock stardom? We'll see. I'll let you know if I get tickets, and I'll blog the concert when the time comes.

If you are unfamiliar with the band, try listening to their album "Franz Ferdinand" and take a look at their website: www.franzferdinand.co.uk/

Need for Speed

After viewing my weblog, a friend of mine recommended an internet connection speed test to try.

The website is: www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

If you are a US resident, pick the closest server, and give it a try. The results I got were: 8,225 kbps download and 885 kbps upload. Not bad, eh? How does your connection compare?

Cable Internet Access

I've had cable internet access for about a week now, and I am glad I got it. As you can tell from this site, I've uploaded quite a few photos, and it is much faster to do so with cable internet. When I upload 5 photos to Blogger (about 10 megs), it takes under a minute to do it. With dial-up, the same number of photos could take over an hour. I also like to watch movies on the internet (CNN news, CNET videos, QuickTime movie trailers, and Apple keynote addresses), and this is really only practical with high-speed internet access. In addition, I've tested my connection with CNET's Bandwidth Meter, and I have gotten this result: 2,250 kbps. That is really not bad. Keep in mind, the results from CNET's Bandwidth Meter can vary depending on internet traffic. How is your connection speed? Is there anybody out there who has a T3 line? Well, I'd definitely recommend getting cable internet access if it is available in your area. You can upload photos much faster, watch videos, and webpages, in general, load quickly.

Last of the Flower and Plant Photos from a Local Nursery

After some searching, I could not find a four-leafed clover in the above photo. Have you ever found a four-leafed clover?

Flower Photos from a Local Nursery

Yes, More Flowers and Plants

Even More Flowers and Plants from a Local Nursery

More Flowers and Plants from a Local Nursery

Flowers and Plants from a Local Nursery

TiVo

I recently got an 80 gigabyte TiVo Series2 digital video recorder for recording television programs. I definitely like fast-forwarding through all the commercials, and it is great to watch the shows when you want to. It is also convenient to use the "season pass" feature to record the entire series of a program (rather than recording each episode individually). Furthermore, I like leaving the TiVo on a channel, say CNN, for about 20-30 minutes. Then, I rewind, watch the news, and fast-forward through the commercials and the stories I may not be interested in. In addition, I've used the WishList feature that uses actor or director names to find programs that contain these people, and then you can record them. I have on my WishList the directors Alfred Hitchcock and Akira Kurosawa. So, I like the WishList feature too. So far, I've recorded the BBC News, CNN, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Nova, and Battlestar Galactica. A relative of mine has recommended I try CSI. So, I am going to record that too. I am really more of a reader than a TV addict, but there are some shows worth watching, aren't there?

Can you think of a program worth recording? If so, you can make a suggestion in the comments section.

Last of the Bay Area Photos: Palace of Fine Arts

One of My Favorite Spots in SF: Palace of Fine Arts