Just Ordered The New John Wilkes Book

I'm so excited. It's the little things, you see?

I've been waiting months for Arthur Cash's new book on John Wilkes (John Wilkes: The Scandalous Father of Civil Liberty) to hit the streets. The new title's just been released by Yale University Press. I can't wait to grab a roll of Necco wafers and dig into this tome. Note, the book reviews the life of the British agitator for whom Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is named, not Lincoln's assassin.

Where else can you read up on one of the most colorful English figures in history? Remembered as the rebellious father of the British free press, Wilkes is credited with authoring the dirtiest poem ever published in English. Other exploits include this episode recounted in his Wikipedia entry:

He was well known for his verbal wit and his snappy responses to insults. For instance, former friend and member of the Hellfire Club, Lord Sandwich shouted to him "You, Sir, will either die of the pox or the gallows!" Wilkes responded "That would depend on whether I embrace your lordship's mistresses or your principles."

Should make for fun reading.

Modded Laptops All The Rage?

Is this a new trend? Laptop modding, apparently, is proving popular.

I understand the desire to personalize the more pedestrian notebooks out there, but do Apple's beautiful Powerbooks and new MacBook Pros really require any modding? I don't think so, but that's only my opinion.

Red-bellied Worries

I didn't want to type "Worried About a Woodpecker" in the title, of course. People might get the wrong idea.

We've enjoyed a pair of red-bellied woodpeckers who've been frequenting our suet feeder for some six months now.

He's about as regal a bird as you see in the suburbs. He and his mate visit as regularly as clockwork. He'd been battling a few starlings the past ten days or so, but nothing too vicious that we could see.

That's why I was surprised to see him just standing on the tree, doing nothing. While I watched he stretched his wings, just standing there, then kind of fell to the ground (while very weakly flapping his wings). Upon hitting the ground he just laid there with his wings spread out.

I went outside to get a better look and see if maybe I could collect him to take to a lady we know who specializes in rescues, but he flew (albeit weakly) back up to the tree. A minute later he took off and flew over the house. I went around to the front looking for him but didn't see him.

Later in the day, while on a walk, we came across the same bird two blocks away. Again he was hanging out at the base of a tree looking a little confused. This time I realized he was a juvenile. Yet again he took off flying, easily clearing a two-story house.

Maybe he struck a window. Who knows? Hopefully he'll be OK.

Apple's On A Roll; Google's Not

I officially jumped on the Apple bandwagon in August, which is when I purchased a new Mac running OS X Tiger. I'd worked with many Macs before, but it was Tiger's introduction in the spring that really caught my attention and for the first time made me view an Apple computer appreciatively.

Earlier this month Apple introduced new Mac product lines powered by Intel chips. The new systems include a striking new laptop called the MacBook Pro (the AP describes the new Macs as stunning).

Supposedly, my beloved titanium PowerBook is now obsolete. A few coworkers (you know who you are), familiar with my new Apple-fueled happiness, expressed their condolences.

"For what?" I asked.

"For having just spent a ton of coin on a now-outdated Mac," they said, or words to that effect.

But the condolences, however well intended, are misplaced. I love my PowerBook. I wouldn't change anything about it. I like it so much that, in a few years when it begins to become long in the tooth (I find its current performance to be comparable to my 3.4 GHz Windows Media Center Edition PC, despite having only a 1.5 GHz PowerPC chip and half the RAM), I'll buy another without thinking twice.

Apparently I'm not the only one. Apple's stock is trading at an all time high, and Steve Jobs recently enjoyed the pleasure of seeing Apple Computer surpass Dell in marketcap.

Meanwhile Google, the apple of so many investor's eyes, is showing uncharacteristic weakness. The company's stock plummeted on news the federal government was supoenaing its records, and then the firm announced it would cater to Chinese communists and begin censoring searches in that country. Not a good week.

Watch for Google to rebound, though, as its search engine is second to none and the Mountain View behemoth is known for hiring bright and talented folks who must certainly be preparing cool new services we'll all ooh and aah over upon release.

Dodge Challenger Enters Muscle Car Resurgence

Following the success of the new, retro-styled Ford Mustang, Chevrolet announced it's resurrecting the Camaro. Chevy's redesigned muscle car will leverage styling from the sexy and classic '69 model.

Not to be outdone, Chrysler's planning a new Challenger, itself once a muscle car powerhouse. And, the new hot rod's sure to boast plenty of horsepower, as engineers are shoe-horning a potent Hemi beneath the hood. That'll please purists, but the masses are sure to enjoy the car's new body style most.

Chevy's New Camaro Proves Stunning

Chevrolet's F-body's been gone a few years, now. The last model year--featuring a grill reminiscent of a ladies' Buick--has graciously and quietly faded from collective memory.

Apparently Chevy's shaken up its designers, however, as the new Camaro prototype was unveiled today. It's outright stunning.

Drawing from the car's fabled history, designers tapped the popular 1969 model (immortalized forever in Bruce Springsteen's outstanding Racing In The Night) for inspiration and insight. Hopefully the corresponding engineering team will pair the new model with the potent LS2 6.0-liter (what gas price crisis?) aluminum V-8 found in the brand's flagship Corvette.

Check this thing out. 22 rear wheels. 22-inch! Massive haunches. A Hot Wheels-inspired body. A retro interior with infamous dual-pod instrumentation.

It'll likely get all of 12 miles to a gallon, but it'll be an awful lot of fun per mile, rest assured.