Are you just too dog tired in the morning to make pancakes or waffles from scratch? I understand. It’s a big job mixing five dry and two wet ingredients to make great flapjacks! And even those packaged mixes are too much work, right? Pouring all that powder and water in a bowl and all that stirring. I feel your pain!

Well, fret no more ‘cause good ol’ American ingenuity has solved your dilemma. Introducing the amazing Organic Batter Blaster!” Just point, blast and cook! Batter Blaster Makes Breakfast a Blast!”

I know what you’re thinking: Why didn’t someone invent this years ago? I dunno.

The tech world has been speculating, and prognosticators have been prognosticating, about what new wizardry Steve Jobs will announce in his keynote address tomorrow morning at the 24th annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

Most expect a new ultra-light sub-notebook with some innovative bells and whistles that will likely spread to the rest of the MacBook and line which is due for an update. Many have speculated that a new devise along the lines of the old Newton tablet but sized more like a slightly enlarged iPhone would be introduced, but that seems premature given the current state of Apple’s touchscreen technology. Maybe next year.

Of course, it’s almost a forgone conclusion that Jobs will announce Apple’s new iTunes movie rental program and formally adopt the Blu-ray hi-def video standard which may drive the final nail into Toshiba’s HD-DVD format. Sorry Microsoft. Some predict something new to add sizzle to the iTV. And the new chipsets for the Mac Pro were announced last week at CES…

But the real buzz is emanating from the banners draping the halls on Mosconi Center that say, quite simply, “There’s something in the Air.” WiMax Mobile? Predictors are guessing wildly about what Jobs has behind the curtain but, if the past is any indication, he won’t let the cat out of the bag until tomorrow.

I always enjoy Apple’s “Get a Mac” advertising campaign and look forward to each new release. Today Apple posted their newest installment touting Leopard’s “Time Machine”, its automatic back-up and file retrieval system that can easily locate and retrieve even long ago deleted files.

The ad features the “Mac” and “PC” guys (Justin Long and John Hodgman) explaining, in simple but entertaining ways, how it works. You can watch the ad below or in various sizes/resolutions on Apple’s site.

And here’s one they used for the 2007 WWDC to introduce Apple’s Phil Schiller. You have to admit, these guys have a great sense of humor!

Article removed by editor.

It’s still the beginning of the new year, so I decided to post a video that somehow fell through the cracks before the ball dropped in Times Square.

Leon Redbone used to be a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and one year helped Johnny welcome the new year by singing Auld Lang Syne. Merv Griffin was also a guest that night and the cutting up between these three great entertainers was nothing short of classic.

Johnny and Merv are gone now but will certainly never be forgotten. Leon, however, is still touring. For his schedule, check his website.

It’s sometimes difficult to believe but, like us, our children do grow up. And when they grow up with good character, a keen sense of humor and, most importantly, kind hearts, they make their parents proud. Today is youngest son Jamie’s 37th birthday. It seems like only a few short years ago that we were laughing at the way his diapers drooped when he played in the little wading pool in our back yard - he was a trend-setter even then! And now he’s grown. He’s still cute and funny but, thank goodness, he’s no longer wearing droopy drawers!

It’s amazing how just one simple omission can screw up so many things on a web site!

Apparently, some time during the last week or so (I’m not sure exactly), I inadvertently omitted a closing tag (</span>) for the “Support Our Heroes” badge I’d added to the sidebar. One little omission, but it really made a mess of the way this site displayed using Internet Explorer. I didn’t notice it because I was posting all week from a Mac using Firefox which displayed it just fine. But today I was posting from a PC using IE7 and noticed all sorts of irregular rendering and behavior. I spent all afternoon trying to isolate the problem before seeking the help of Crista, my able service administrator, who identified the problem in just a few minutes!

Of course, I had altered so much code trying to fix the problem before Crista stepped in that it took me another 20 minutes just to put it all back together again! There are still a few things I need to tweak, but I’m happy to report that we’re again running on all cylinders.

Of course, should you discover anything that doesn’t work or look right, please let me know…

Looks like G.W. still has a few things to check off on his “To-Do” list before his term ends…

Proving that prayers are answered and miracles do happen, Eric Volz, the Sacramento-born surfer and entrepreneur who was wrongly imprisoned in Nicaraqua 13 months ago for the rape and murder of his former girlfriend, is finally free and back with his family and friends on American soil. It’s a great way to start the new year!

Eric had a small army of supporters, many of whom regularly read this blog and wrote letters, sent emails and donated money toward Eric’s defense. His mother, especially, worked tirelessly to regain his freedom. Thanks to her efforts, Eric was never forgotten. And, thanks to the faith and support of those who believed in Eric’s innocence, Eric is home. A miracle? You bet!

If you’re unfamiliar with Eric’s story, please take a few minutes to read my earlier posts here, here, and here. And here’s an email address for Eric (via Friends of Eric Volz). Why not send him a “Welcome Home”. I’m sure he’d appreciate it.

Following a major storm that packed 70 mph winds, uprooted trees and caused major flooding, we’ve settled back into light but steady rain and fog like that shown in this image taken by Lois Heine at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Those of you that know me know I’m a spring and autumn lover. I tolerate summers, at least when the temps stay below 100, but winter is definitely “not my friend.” Still, this image may be just the kick in the pants I need to pull out the camera and go shoot some, uh, rain and fog…

You may already be aware that the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been running in Las Vegas this week (ending today). It’s a gigantic annual event for companies that want to introduce their latest consumer gadgetry and for consumers who love to drool over it. I keep saying I’m going to go one year, but the thing is so big, I know I’d have to fight huge crowds for four long days and that just isn’t in my genes.

But I’ve been following the “goings on” at technology sites like engadget, Gizmodo, TechCrunch and Wired (more on their respective sites), enough so that I thought I’d link, in no particular order, to a few of the things I thought looked and sounded pretty cool. See what you think:

• Optimus Maximus Keyboard - The oh-so captivating, completely configurable keyboard everyone’s been talking about. Watch the video hands-on…

• Panasonic’s 150-Inch Plasma TV - Movie theaters should start to worry! (Crap, I’m going to need a bigger house!)

• Panasonic’s 1-inch Thin Plasmas - Check out the photos! Thin is in!

• SHOGO - the World’s First WiFi-enabled, Touchscreen Digital Photo Frame.

• FlyTunes - Brings Internet Radio to Your iPhone.

• Avis’ Upgraded Where2 GPS - A customized Garmin Nuvi 780 that will replace the StreetPilot-based units currently in Avis’ arsenal…

• Pioneer Kuro Concept Plasma - Video Shows How Thin This Thing Really Is!

• Canon’s Flash Camcorders - New Vixia line of nine-ounce HD flash-based camcorders.

• Alienware’s Monster Wraparound Monitor - Humungous wraparound DLP rear-projection monitors aimed at gamers.

• New Apple Mac Pro - Eight Cores and support for eight 30-inch Cinema Displays. Not sure why they announced this a week or so before Macworld; I assume it’s because Intel announced the new chips…

• Control4 Home Automation - Centralized command over your media, home theater, lights, security system and temperature…

• New Apple Xserve - Most Powerful Ever…

• LG.Philips 52-inch multi-touch display - Watch the video and view the images. Very cool!

• Heineken/Krups BeerTender - This looks cool! Built to hold a 5-liter Heineken keg and keep it tasting fresh and cold for about 30 days. The LCD indicates temperature and lets you know when beer is running low…

• Panasonic/T-Mobile Wireless Lumix Camera - Integrated access to T-Mobile HotSpot and will give owners the ability to beam images directly to Picasa Web Albums…

• Linksys Wireless-G Internet Home Monitoring Camera - Pretty straightforward home monitoring camera system…

• iRobot Looj - A robot that treats gutters like an olympic event. Watch the video…

• iRobi Helper Robot - Another domestic robot designed to help around the house…

CES, as you’ve probably surmised, includes thousands of products. I grabbed just a handful that caught my fancy while perusing the technology sites that had reps attending the four-day show and reporting what they saw. It’s an amazing event, at least for those of us who really love gadgets.

Folks, Matt Davies says it’s up to us. We need to “Vote for Change!”

Thought I’d forgotten about the Nebraska Republican Presidential Primary? No, but that one surprised me, too. I know he was favored, but… CNN has an analysis.

Sen. John McCain’s victory in New Hampshire’s Republican primary Tuesday came with the help of critics of a war he supports and independents who gave him the edge eight years ago, exit polls found.

The result highlights a remarkable rebound for McCain, whose campaign was largely left for dead over the summer.

“When the pundits declared us finished I told them I’m going to New Hampshire where the voters don’t let you make their decision for them,” he told supporters in Nashua after his leading rivals conceded.

McCain had alienated the party’s conservative base with his support of a controversial immigration bill, his poll numbers dipped against his rivals, and his disappointing fund-raising prompted a shakeup of senior staff.

“I’m past the age when I can claim the noun ‘kid,’ no matter what adjective precedes it,” McCain said. “But tonight, we sure showed them what a comeback looks like.” …

Check out this amazing full-screen 360 degree interactive panoramic image of Times Square, NYC, from teltip.com. You can zoom in/out with the Shift/Ctrl keys and move up or down and left or right with the arrow keys. Great pano image. Listen for the sounds of the street, music to New Yorkers’ ears… (Requires Quicktime)

Be sure to view the other QRVR panoramics on the site. I especially liked the one of La Basilique Notre-Dame, Montréal, with Pachabel’s Canon in D.

If I had one wish this New Year, it would be for all the children of the world to join together in peace and love and sing in harmony.

If I had two wishes this New Year, they would be for all the children of the world to sing together and $1,000,000 tax free.

If I had three wishes this New Year, they would be for kids singing together, $1,000,000 tax free per year for life, and to have all encompassing power over the universe.

If I had four wishes this New Year, they’d be the crap about the kids, the $1,000,000, all encompassing power, and an extended orgasm to last thirty days brought about by two super-models. And, of course, my wife.

Let’s face it, the logistics of getting all those kids together is daunting, so let’s rearrange: All encompassing power, the orgasm, the money… Oh! I forgot to strike down my enemies. Okay, so add that in.

So, my four wishes this New Year would be the power, the striking down my enemies (may they die like pigs in hell,) the orgasm, and the money.

And for my fifth wish this New Year, I would like for all the children of the world to join together in peace and love and sing in harmony.

Amen.