Pre-order Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Uncut $29.99 after rebate

FYE.com has the option to pre-order Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Uncut for $29.99 after a $10 mail-in-rebate.

Suggested retail price is $59.99
Offer Price: $39.99
After Rebate Price: $29.99

Link: http://shop.fye.com/product.aspx?sku=202600048

"FYE.com is taking preorders for Grey's Anatomy: Season 2 on DVD for $39.99 with free shipping. A $10 mail-in rebate drops it to $29.99. That's the lowest total price we could find for any show featuring "Dr. McDreamy". Orders are expected to ship on September 12. Sales tax is added where applicable. Rebate expires September 25."

Tech: Nike+iPod Sport Kit by Apple and Nike ($29)

Mark Parker and Steve Jobs, CEOs of Nike and Apple, announced the first collaboration between the two companies. Eighteen months in the making, Nike Plus is the first of many (we hope) products from these two much-admired consumer product brands. And while this is a great first step, the big story is what other products the two will introduce over time.
Nike Plus is a technology that allows runner’s shoes to communicate with their iPod Nanos. The Nike+iPod Sport kit consists of a small oval pod that you insert under the liner of your shoe (much like a SIM card), and a small transmitter that attaches to your Nano. The kit will cost $29. You load up your Nano with selections from the iTunes Store’s new Nike Sport Music section, manage your workout on the NikePlus site, put on your Nike Plus gear (see details on all of these after the jump), and you are good to go.

The software tracks the usual data like time and distance, and includes a voice over, much like the nav system in your car, which communicates the details. The training and inspiration mixes offer advice as well. Nike’s lined up Lance Armstrong and Paula Radcliffe (who holds the women’s marathon record) among others, to share their favorite music and provide their inspiration while you train.
The first Nike shoe to support Nike Plus is the Moire (pictured). With a msrp of $100, the Moire will be available starting in July 2006 in the U.S. and U.K. and shortly thereafter in other markets. Starting this fall six other styles will be available (Air Zoom Plus, Air Max Moto, Nike Shox Turbo OH, Air Max 180, Nike Shox Navina and Air Max 90). The shoes are independent of the Nike Plus system, so you can wear them without buying or using the kit.
The iTunes store adds a new Nike Sport Music section with special workout mixes, athlete inspirations, podcasts, etc.

You can of course wear anything while you run, but the Nike Plus line of clothing includes a pocket for your Nano and impressive cord management.
A software update for the Nano will include a new menu item, "Nike+iPod," which allows you to choose your workout distance, select your music (including your "power song" for those challenging moments), or download specific workout routines. During the workout relevant data is shown on the iPod screen, and post workout your summary is displayed.
Sync your iPod and your data is uploaded to the nikeplus.com site, which tracks your workouts, progress, goals and offers community and inspirational content.
More information is also available from the Apple Nike Plus site.

How to Use the Nike+iPod Sport Kit Step
1. Place the sensor in your left Nike+ shoe, in the built-in pocket beneath the insole. You can leave the sensor in your shoe even when you’re not working out.
Step 2. Attach the receiver to your iPod nano. The receiver fits snugly into the Dock connector, located on the bottom of your iPod nano next to the headphone jack.
Step 3. Hit the ground running with workout-based voice feedback, Nike Sport Music content, and an iPod nano that stays in tune with every step.

And here's a snaphot preview of Nike+iPod on Apple's site:

Tech: "Undercover" software helps recover your stolen MacBook

So you coughed up some dough for that iAlertU program to protect your MacBook, but wouldn't you know it, your laptop got stolen anyway by a thief who cleverly removed the battery before taking off. Another program called Undercover not only sends out an IP-address-containing SOS if it's reported stolen, but actually uses your machine's built-in iSight to snap a photo of the perp before simulating a screen failure that makes the Mac unusable. Every six minutes, Undercover pings a database maintained by developer Orbicule to check if the machine it's installed on has been stolen; a positive reply from the server initiates a sequence of events that hopefully ends with law enforcement officials breaking down the door of the nefarious Macjacker's pad and recovering your beloved notebook.

That's safe!

Associate and Affiliate Programs on the Internet

Advertising brings money in. To the sellers, to the advertisers, to the actors, and also to the writers.

Associate and affiliate programs are created to expand the coverage that already exists, by using a helping hand; the affiliates.
Technically an affiliate is defined to be:
A person, organization, or establishment associated with another as a subordinate, subsidiary, or member: network affiliates.

The affiliates are normally end users who cross promote whatsoever services they are using to their friends and relatives and also people who they don't really know. (Verizon Wireless has a term for that, the network)

Ever wonder how Amway has all that many Diamond and Emerald and Pearl members and their photos in the middle page(s) spread of their monthly magazine? Those are the true masters of referral and affiliates. They just have people join under them and they earn some fraction of money, dividends, rewards, whatever you like to call it. In other words, they are the channel to reach out to many possible market out there. And it is all done by the members, and not the companies. These elite members basically direct more business to the organisation. Hence, the organisation gains more and more profit, and they reward their helpers with some incentives. It's a lucarative enough business that one can earn a living on that if one can be good and networking. Just shake your leg, go online and be a couch potato all day while the money comes rolling in. I think those elite members must have read some of these books:

If you look at it from another point of view, it's just human manipulation. Being made use and taken advantage of the corporate.
Which reminds me of a quote from my friend Linda's blog:
Y is dat...

* We get bored with childhood. We rush to grow up and then long to be children again.
* We lose our health to make money and then lose our money to restore our health.
* We cannot make anyone love us. What we can do is let ourselves be loved.
* It takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in persons we love and it takes many years to heal them.
* Two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.

Tech: HTC Hermes, the one that replaces HTC Wizard

Brothers and sisters, I present to you, the HTC Hermes. This will be the sucessor to the HTC Wizard aka Cingular 8125 aka T-Mobile MDA. This picture below is obviously the UK version, spotting the provider O2's logo.

Here are more pictures of the i-Mate line, which is called the JasJam.

Details of the JasJam can be found at: http://www.imatephonestore.com/product.asp?itemMDL=IMATE_jasjam#techspecs

100th post

This is my 100th post here. Rejoice people.

Movies: Wait 'Til You're Older (2005) starring Andy Lau

sypnosis of the movie (credits to HK Entertainment News in Review):

(Official synopsis) Twelve-year-old Kong is an unhappy child. He has not been happy since his mother's suicide three years ago, which he blames on his father and stepmother. He runs away from home one day and meets an eerie old man who claims he has a potion that can speed up the life process. As much as he would like to believe it, this is all baloney to him. So when he accidentally taints his blood with the potion, he hardly expects his fate is about to change forever. It is an impossible dream come true when Kong wakes up the next morning to find himself already a twenty-year-old young man.

Directed by
Teddy Chan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Suk-Yin Chan
Chi-Kwong Cheung

Cast (in alphabetical order)
Nicola Cheung
Xiaogang Feng .... Bum
Ka Tung Lam .... Vice-Principal Chow
Andy Lau .... Kwong
Bingbing Li
Karen Mok .... Tsui Mun
Kristal Tin
Chapman To
Felix Wong .... Chan Man
Cherrie Ying .... Miss Lee

Movies: Brokeback Mountain (2005) starring Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal

Last night, they rented Brokeback Mountain from State St's Blockbuster. The DVD is so hot that we had to hide it somewhere (in the afternoon) so that we would be able to rent it when we return the other DVD later into the night.

Everyone knows this winner of 3 Academy Awards which caused quite a stirr in the community. Well, it's a gay cowboy movie, what do you expect? And it's directed by a Chinese, Ang Lee. It's titled "Secreto en la montaña" in Mexico. (=Secrets in/on the Mountains). LOL :D

I was told that it was gonna last 3 hours. I tucked myself under the mini blanket and layed (laid?) slouchily on the sofa. The build-up was very boring. If I was watching alone, if it wasn't for the occasional teaser scenes of nudity or homosexual secrecy, I'd stopped watching.

The whole story circles around the relationship of 2 cowboys who worked/hooked up one summer near Brokeback mountain. After the job was done, they went seperate ways and were not to meet until 4 years later. By then, each has a family, you know, wife and kids. They would then go on frequent "fishing trips" and enjoy the time like they did on Brokeback mountain 4 years ago. One of the two eventually died. And the story unfolds.

Yes, I watched Brokeback Mountain. Peace out.

Pre-order Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Available Now

Grey's Anatomy Season 2 DVD Set is Available Now for Pre-order.





Updated 05/30: Pre-order Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Uncut $29.99 after rebate
http://pujutengineered.blogspot.com/2006/05/pre-order-greys-anatomy-season-2-uncut.html

Sports: UEFA Champions League: FC Barcelona Champions of Europe

It was a grandstand finish. Considering what had taken place midway through the first half, it was still a great final. Arsenal went off a good start when Henry forced a good save out of Victor Valdes. The Barcelona goalkeeper was quick to rush out and block the Arsenal talisman's shot.
Then came the big twist. Ronaldinho squared a perfectly timed through ball to Barcelona's top scorer this season, Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon. Jens Lehman came off his line but the Cameroonian hitman was too lighting quick for him. As a result, he fell Eto'o with his outstreched hands. The ball was rolling forward towards Giuly who shot into an empty goal. At this moment, everyine was thinking the referee had allowed the advantage and let the play to continue. WRONG! He instead blew the whistle for a freekick, show Lehman a red card and the goal didn't stand. I am sure every fan was against this decision by the Norwegian official. My personal opinion is that the Norwegian official has made a bad decision (a mistake) by disallowing the goal and making Arsenal playing with a man less for the rest of the game. Barcelona, in fact, wanted the advantage play and the goal. Ronaldinho fired a little wide from the ensuing freekick.



Eboue, an emerging rightback for Arsenal, overlapped down the flank and dived for a free kick just outside the penalty box. This was clearly Arsenal's chance. With a man down, they know deep down inside themselves that their only chance to score would gonna come from setpieces like this. And Boom! Arsenal scored. Sol Campbell rose high and tall to power a header past Valdes who was rooted on the ground. Henry's delivery was perfect and Arsenal took the lead and turned the heat on Ronaldinho and his comrades. In injury time, Eto'o shot's was deflected onto the righthand post by Arsenal's Spanish substitute goalkeeper Almunia. A crucial, crucial save

The first half ended Barcelona 0 , Arsenal 1.

The second half began with Barcelona attacking with all they have to find the equaliser they desperately needed to tie the match. As the match was progressing with all the Barcelona attacks and occasional counter attacks by Arsenal, there were constantly discussions and exchange of words between Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger and Arsenal's captain, Thierry Henry. It seemed that Henry was talking to Wenger about the lack of support that he's getting from the midfielders and wanted Wenger to bring Reyes on to add some speed and maybe kill off the game with another goal. Wenger didn't bring on Reyes until the 85th minute, yes, with only 5 minutes in the game left. By then, the match had turned into Barcelona's favor and almost everyone knows it's over for Arsenal. Eto'o had equalised with a near post shot and Brazilian substitute Belleti had fired in between Almunia's legs to seal Arsenal's fate. Both goals were setup by Henrik Larsson, another substitute brought on by Frank Rijkaard. Rijkaard brought on Iniesta for the 2nd half. Then Larsson. Then Belleti.



The deciding goal was scored after Wenger made his 2nd substitution, bring on Flamini on place of Fabregas. Belleti scored the match winning goal with, guess who, Flamini guarding him. The 3rd substitution with barely 5 minutes left of Reyes replacing Hleb was left too late. It's like having the 2 of spades as your trump card in the BIG TWO card game but you have already lost the game.

Barcelona deservedly wins the 50th edition of the European Cup. They have proved to be among the best teams in Europe, anchored by Ronaldinho. Arsenal succumbed to fatigue towards the end of the game. Henry blasted the officials by saying "some of the refereeing today was horrendous." He also admitted that when he had a chance to put the game away for good when he failed to beat Valdes for the 2nd goal that he had nothing left in his legs. Wenger should know better that his team's going to get tired. And making substitutions too late into the game wasn't the smartest decision of all.

This result once again proves that Arsenal does NOT have what it takes to succeed in Europe. Nor does Chelsea, oh yeah you Chelsea fans out there, I'm not letting y'all off the hook. Last season, Chelsea lost to Liverpool in the semifinals. This season, they lost to Barcelona. Liverpool won the European Cup last season. And this season, Barcelona won it.



Barca! Barca! Barca!

They Finally Meet......

The end is near, have you packed your gear?

2 more days before move out day. 1 more day before my last final for this semester. Cold, battered, ignored. Life's cruel. and there's no sequel. So cherish life. Live life.