Mmmm . . . Facebook

I might be paranoid....

http://blogs.zdnet.com/web2explorer/?p=95&part=rss&tag=feed&subj=zdblog

http://www.albumoftheday.com/facebook

The part of Terms of Use referenced in the video...

"When you post User Content to the Site, you authorize and direct us to make such copies thereof as we deem necessary in order to facilitate the posting and storage of the User Content on the Site. By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part) and distribute such User Content for any purpose, commercial, advertising, or otherwise, on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing. (emphasis mine) You may remove your User Content from the Site at any time. If you choose to remove your User Content, the license granted above will automatically expire, however you acknowledge that the Company may retain archived copies of your User Content. Facebook does not assert any ownership over your User Content; rather, as between us and you, subject to the rights granted to us in these Terms, you retain full ownership of all of your User Content and any intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights associated with your User Content."

Heck, maybe Google does the same thing. Damn the Man. Now I have to go look.

Excerpt from Google's Terms of Use:

"Your Intellectual Property Rights. Google claims no ownership or control over any Content submitted, posted or displayed by you on or through Google services. (emphasis Google) You or a third party licensor, as appropriate, retain all patent, trademark and copyright to any Content you submit, post or display on or through Google services and you are responsible for protecting those rights, as appropriate. By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through Google services which are intended to be available to the members of the public, you grant Google a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, publish and distribute such Content on Google services for the purpose of displaying and distributing Google services. " (emphasis mine)

Note that the usage is more limited than Facebook's. Still not the greatest. But better. Marginally.

Nothing's free. You pay one way or another.

But at least you can view Google pages without creating an account. You can view MySpace without creating an account. You can't look at Facebook AT ALL if you have no account. That was the first bit that triggered an uneasy feeling in my gut. I have to give them MY information to simply VIEW their webpage? I think not. I'm not THAT curious.

I have nothing constructive to add to the monologue today.

And, While We're Handing Out Accolades...

Our good friend and stupendous chef, Pippa Calland, just won her episode of Chopped on the Food Network. The episode aired last night at 10:00 and will be on again at 3:00 on Saturday. She's damn good. Take some lessons, yo. Lord knows we have. We're very lucky and blessed to have some of the neighbors and friends we do.

Beyond being an awesome chef, she also used "transmogrified" on national TV. Shweet.

Some light reading for those interested...

Patriot News 1-20-09

CBS21 News

The Carlisle Sentinel

Patriot News 1-21-09

Rock on, Duuuuude.

Props to Zach

I'll say it here because it kicks ass. Zach got his upgrade to Pro for cyclocross. That's awesome. Good work, Tuffie.

He's on the right, BTW. Just in case you could, somehow, possibly mistake my fatass for him.

Laid Back Sunday

We intended to make the MBM ride on Sunday, but a lack of proper prior planning on my part prevented it. Instead, I was outside at 7:30 in the morning, toasting Guajillo peppers and searing a pork loin roast on the side burner of the gas grill. In my pajamas and a toque. The came sauteing the onions, garlic, cumin and peppers, followed by a bottle of toasted lager into the pan. Let that simmer a bit and then it all went in with the roast. Everything made it into the slowcooker by 8:15 or so, but there was no way to make it to the ride start by then. We hadn't even had breakfast yet.... So, we finally got out around 10:15 for our own ride from the house and we tooled around the woods for a couple hours. It felt great to finally be back on the bike and outside after more than a week.

Trails were in great shape and it even snowed on us for a bit.

Can't complain about this.

But, the ice-covered end of Bunkerhill got us both. Donna went down first and I was right behind her. We both just started laughing.

Once home, we rounded out the slowroasted pork with pureed butternut squash with cinnamon and nutmeg and simple, good, broccoli rabe. Donna made the comment that we make it very hard to justify going out to eat...

Bring it.

We need an effen blizzard right about now, funk soul brothers.

Ground's frozen, temps are cold and gonna stay there . . . come on, Mother Nature, ante up, bitch.

Icey Goodness

I have to admit, I'd rather have snow than ice any day. And this past weekend was originally looking to go that way and then nothing happened. The ice that came earlier in the week stayed and refused to melt, leaving everything on the ridgetops in Michaux in a glittery, slippery coating. Ridge Road is a sheet of ice where it isn't maintained. Good times, indeed. We got out to hike both days over the weekend, using the Kahtoola Microspikes we picked up last year. I think they are some of the best slip-on traction devices out there. They stay on your feet and are mighty comfortable to hike in. And, as Donna found out when we found an empty Keystone Light can on the road, they also make good can openers. Those little spikes will poke right through a beer can. We both thought it was pretty funny that, of course, the one can we found since the ice and snow came was a Nascar beer. We were picturing the drunk rednecks careering down icy Ridge Road, half toasted. Where the hell was Darwin?

Enough with the yakking. Here's some pics taken with our new toy--a Panasonic Lumix FX35 digicam.

Not much snow but nice ice.

Stumpy

Jack Pine


Bow before your Lord and Master, lowly trees.

Ice Wine, anyone?