Sunday, February 20, 2005

Bush Comes To Germany Later this week Bush will be visiting Germany.  Already we've been warned about some of the planned demonstrations, especially around the Mainz area where he'll be spending some quality time with the German Chancellor. Makes me wonder if Air Force One will fly into the Frankfurt airport or into Ramstein AFB.  Since I'm so close to Ramstein (eight miles or so), I'm hoping for the later.  How cool would it be to see Air Force One fly right over my house?  Unfortunately, no firm schedules have been released, and with it being so chilly, I'm not likely to just camp out in the backyard with camera in hand. Stars and Stripes has an interesting article about all the security precautions surrounding the visit.  Understandable since so many people over here can't stand the guy.  The article also mentions that Mrs. Bush might visit some of the military installations around here.  Five years ago Mrs. Clinton stopped by the school I teach at.  Wonder if the current First Lady will follow in her footsteps. I'll get back to you if anything happens. Related links: Deutsche Welle:  Bush, Europe Set To Mend Fences Deutsche Welle:  Mainz to Lockdown for Bush Visit 12:39:17 PM     |

Top 100 Doo-dads Mobile PC magazine just put out its list of the Top 100 Gadgets of All Time.  While I may quibble with the order of a few of the items, I can't really argue with what made the list.  They've got everything from the dictaphone to the cell phone.  Walkman to the iPod.  The Magic 8-Ball to the Rubik's Cube. Speaking of which, while I clearly remember the Rubik's Cube craze of the early eighties (never solved it -- probably never will), I had no idea that the Magic 8-Ball first predicted the future back in 1946.  Those things are nearly sixty years old!  I thought they came from the 70's at the earliest. One of my nostalgic favorites comes in at #65:  The Mattel Football II.  Oh, the hours and hundreds of miles I spent playing the hell out of one of those on long car trips each summer and Christmas.  I firmly believe that every kid who bitches about the graphics in the latest edition of Madden football should get ahold of a vintage Mattel game and see what it was like having to pretend little red dashes were your players.  That's why kids today have no imagination; they never have to use it. Related links: Rubik and The Cube:  history of the toy Mattel Football II:  Pics of the original ThinkGeek:  where I look for my gadgets The Doo-Dads:  can't tell if they're any good because their music links don't work.  Doo-duds. 11:00:14 AM     |

© Copyright 2005 Alex L. Mauldin.