Mr. Muddle's Befuddled Universe

Home iAvatar Entertainment System anounced by Appel Computers

Job & Cameroon demo Appel iAvatar

I want Avatar at Home!

Recently I was invited by my good friend Karen Quah to come over anytime to watch soccer on TV at her house. But since she lives in Australia, and I live in California, anytime may not be anytime soon.

This got me thinking: What if we had iAvatars as part of our home entertainment systems? Wouldn't that be totally unbelievable? The more I thought about it, the more excited I got!

The man for the job: Steve Jobs!

Wouldn't it be cool, if we had iAvatars to go with our iPods and our iPhones and our iPads?

Do you know Steve Jobs iPhone number? I'd like to ring him right up, and get him on the job! That's for sure.

I can't wait until Apple comes out with an iAvatar. Think of the possibilities!

Nookie

Of course, the first thing I thought about was sex. Kiss those little blue pills goodbye, brother! ``Parts is parts" never more! The next time she says, ``Fill 'er up," she won't be at the gas station!

TV

Of course, television is how we got into this conversation. Karen Quah invited me over to her house in Australia to watch soccer.

Imagine the possibilities. Not only could you watch any TV show, but you could watch any TV set anywhere in the world. Just hop into your Avatar, and go, baby, go!

Challenge Matches

We could even get the athletes themselves involved in the action. It'd be too late for a Joe Louis vs Muhammad Ali fight, but I'd be up for a Mary Joe Fernández vs Maria Sharapova tennis match. (And after the match, there could be an auction for for Sunday brunch with the winner — just for charity — all in good clean fun!)

Then there's the Telephone!

Ma Bell long dreamed of a workable ``picture phone" but AT&T's every attempt failed.Video conferencing and chatting by computer has proven to be more successful. And now Skype is going to be added to HD TVs.

But even with these latest technological advances, you still can't reach out touch someone. If we had an iAvatar, we could truly touch each other! Just think, if your spouse was away on a business trip, he or she could reach out by phone, and give you a touch of human kindness. (Of course, the iAvatar would also transform the meaning for the expression, ``The long arm of the law.")

iAvatar Features

At first I thought the iAvatar would finally stop people from answering their phone in the bathroom, then I realized that people would just adjust the settings, so that they always ``appeared" to be in their office hard at work, whenever the boss stopped by. This got me thinking about what features an iAvatar should have. I came up with a short list.

Boxes. The iAvatar would need a way of organizing people. You'd need to be able to limit who gets access to private places like your office and home. After all, you wouldn't want junk call idiots sitting down at your dinner table and staying for dessert! I call this the ``Boxes" feature where you would organize people by category, and then establish their individual settings. You then could establish a general setting for anyone not in one of your existing Boxes.

Friends. Of course, iAvatar will have to work with Facebook, Myspace, and all the other major social networks, so friends can hump, I mean, frolic along with each other.

The Receptionist. Now this is one of the best features of an iAvatar. Instead of choosing between ringtones, you get to choose between receptionists. And, if you want, you can have the receptionist just handle all your business, and you can take the day off. The receptionist will do a better job anyway, so what the hell! Eat up, and get fat!

Mute. Your mother-in-law is talking during Fringe, no problem. Just mute her.

Cloak. Dressed in your underwear, when your buds stop by unannounced, no problem, just press the ``Cloak" button, and they won't see you.

Shields. Get in a stupid argument after the big game, and your brother is about to smack you, don't worry. Press the ``Shields Up" button, and nothing will hurt you.

Auto. Hey, you're in a meeting, but you want to take a nap, press the ``Auto" button, and your iAvatar will cover for you while you sleep away.

Imagine. He wants to do the same old thing, and you'd rather do your nails, then you both can spend time in parallel universes together. It's a best of both worlds situation.

Summation

So, Steve Jobs and James Cameron, it's up to you guys. I've done my part. I can't wait any longer! I want, no. I demand my iAvatar now!

Official Avatar movie trailer

Official Avatar Movie

Bible Possibly Written Centuries Earlier, Text Suggests - Yahoo! News

Scientists have discovered the earliest known Hebrew writing — an inscription dating from the 10th century B.C., during the period of King David's reign.

The breakthrough could mean that portions of the Bible were written centuries earlier than previously thought. (The Bible's Old Testament is thought to have been first written down in an ancient form of Hebrew.)

Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month.

"It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research," said Gershon Galil, a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa in Israel, who deciphered the ancient text.

BCE stands for "before common era," and is equivalent to B.C., or before Christ.

via news.yahoo.com

In my Martin Lurther King, Jr. Day posting I mentioned Keith Richburg's principles for racial healing. I believe Richburg's principles can also be used for religious healing (see list below).

I believe Richburg's principles also serve well for the basis of religious healing; particularly if we begin to tell our religious histories accurately, and take care to separate mythology from history. That's not to say we cannot have religious art and literature, but for the sake of our cultural safety and sanity, we should recognize that art and literature need not be more than what they are to be awe inspiring.

Therefore, for both racial and religious healing, I suggest we follow Keith Richburg's lead, and heed his principles. They are:

1. The accurate telling of history.
2. Tolerance.
3. Brotherhood.
4. Hard work.
5. Personal responsibility.
6. Equality before the law.

Martin Luther King Jr. - A Historical Examination: The TRUTH about Kwanzaa

But our strength, as [Keith] Richburg [author of Out of America] points out, comes from real principles: tolerance, brotherhood, hard work, personal responsibility, equality before the law. If Americans really cared about racial healing, they would focus on those ideas — and not on a made-up rite that mistakes segregationism for spirituality and fiction for history.

via www.martinlutherking.org

The paragraph above is from an essay written by Tony Snow, which I discovered at the Martin Lurther King, Jr. website on this MLK Day 18 JAN 2010. Tony Snow is a columnist for the Detroit News.

I republished the paragraph here not because I wish to knock Kwanzaa, or the people who celebrate Kwanzaa. 

I republished the paragraph because of Keith Richburg's list of principles needed for racial healing. Five principles were listed in the paragraph. A sixth principle was listed in an earlier paragraph, but was omitted in the above list. I will redo the list, and I will include the omitted sixth item.

Keith Richburg's Principles for Racial healing

1. The accurate telling of history.
2. Tolerance.
3. Brotherhood.
4. Hard work.
5. Personal responsibility.
6. Equality before the law.

Happy MLK Day everyone! May the Dream be realized. May it live on forever!

News – Meryl Streep's Post-Globes Speech Shocks Reporters – Celebrity News – UsMagazine.com

Meryl Streep is known as a class act in Hollywood, so reporters were shocked when the actress, 60, cussed three times back stage at Sunday's Golden Globes in Hollywood.

Streep - who won best leading actress for playing Julia Child in Julie & Julia - was discussing the fact that Child was "not amused" by a blog centered on her culinary skills. The blog was written by fledgling writer Julie Powell, who vowed to whip up 524 of Child's recipes in 365 days. The blog inspired a 2002 memoir by Powell and Streep's hit movie.

See photos from all the Golden Globe after-parties!

"Julia Child was disgruntled because she felt this person was not being serious about cuisine," Streep said. "I think she was offended by the language. She's a lady of a certain age and certain time where you can't say f***, f***, f***, all the time, and she was not used to it, and I think it upset her."

via www.usmagazine.com

The reporter above not only was shocked by the use of the word ``fuck" but he couldn't spell the word either (see, ``f***"). Well, it's spelled F, U, C, K. fuck. It's slang for, S, E, X, sex. 

Meryl Streep

Prop 8 Case Begins in Court – Mission Loc@l -- San Francisco Mission District's News, Food, Art and Events

“What is it that is so special about that word, that institution of marriage?”

Theodore B. Olson, a prominent conservative litigator and a veteran of many Supreme Court arguments for the Bush Administration, went right to the point when questioning his client in a tense federal courtroom yesterday.

“Marriage is about making a public commitment to the world, to my partner, to our friends and family,” said Sandra Stier, 47, of Berkeley. “It’s the way we tell them and each other that this is a lifetime commitment. We can tell them, ‘We are married; she is my spouse.’”

The opening day of testimony in Perry v. Schwarzenegger featured vivid personal testimony from Stier and her partner, Kristin Perry, 46, chronicling their self-identification as lesbians and daily struggles with discrimination based on sexual orientation. Their testimony on the public and private role of married life, along with testimony from a male couple from Los Angeles, was an emotional beginning to the first challenge to a state’s same-sex marriage ban in federal court.

The three-week trial challenging California’s Proposition 8, the voter-approved constitutional amendment denying same-sex couples the right to marry, will be closely watched by gay rights groups and supporters of traditionally defined marriage nationwide. More than a hundred opponents of Proposition 8 gathered outside the courthouse Monday morning to voice their support for the challenge.

via missionlocal.org

The important Prop 8 trial has begun! I know you want Prop 8 struck down as much as I do. I plan to post regular updates regarding the Prop 8 Court case on my Tumblr blog, so I hope you check it out on a daily basis. Thanks! 

Tumblr: http://timnull.tumblr.com/

Now, Let's win this thing!!! :-)

Film Focus: Movie Geeks United

Great Movie Podcast & Blog

Movie Geeks United

All the movie geeks know that you can't beat the Movie Geeks United podcast for informative entertainment about the film industry. The show is the most popular podcast about movies on the internet and on iTunes. You can find guest and scheduling information at the show's website: moviegeeksunited.net. You can subscribe to the show on iTunes, but I prefer listening to the show at blogtalkradio.

Shows initially air on Sundays and Wednesdays, but an archive of past shows can be found here: archive. (Because the shows are podcasts, you can listen to all the shows at your own convenience; ain't life just dandy?)

Movie Geeks United is co-hosted by Jamey DuVall, Jerry Dennis and Chris Whetton.

Jerry Dennis (see photo) and I have a mutual cyber-friend, and I was fortunate enough to receive a cyber-introduction awhile back. Since then I have been blessed with the opportunity to follow Jerry Dennis on Twitter. Jerry has a lot to offer a novice such as myself. I'm grateful for Jerry's patience and cooperation. He's a not only smart, but really helpful; a rare combination. (Thanks, Jerry!!!)

Example

This morning I woke up around 4am with a migraine. I needed to sit up to take the weight off my neck, but I wanted something to distract me from the pain. I thought, I'll listen to the Movie Geeks, they're always on call, whenever a fellow is in need! :-)

This morning I listened to an episode of the Movie Geeks United that featured Matthew Broderick. I enjoyed the episode so much, I decided to embed the player for the episode in this very write-up, so you too can conveniently listen to it, and you don't even have to have a migraine as the price of admission (aren't I nice?).

Enjoy!

Matthew Broderick

Befuddled Cast of Characters, Cook's Tour, etc.

Welcome Aboard!

Introductions are in order!

The Befuddled Crew!

I've never explained the ``Mr. Muddle" name. Well, I started this blog in DEC/2004 and it's now 2010, so I suppose it's time.

Back around 2005 there was a fair amount of press coverage concerning people who got fired because they discussed work related information in their blogs. For example, one airline flight attendant got in a stew, because she posted a photo of herself wearing her airline uniform. (Of course, she may have forgotten Rule #1, No uniform is complete, without your chones on!)

But I wasn't worried about my chones. I was worried about my ever loving hiney. You see, during the early years of this blog, the Mrs was very concerned that I might write something irresponsible, which might get her in trouble at work (and that would get me in trouble at home; cause and effect, you see). Even though I felt her fears were legitimate, I still decided to have fun with them. (Like Robin Williams said, "We're not laughing at you, we're laughing near you"; Dead Poets Society, 1989.)

On the serious side I avoided any subject matter which might be remotely related to the Mrs' work. On the lighter side, I decided  two things. First, if I posted any photos of the Mrs, I would simply crop her head off (poetic justice). Second, I would give her a cute substitute name. It only took a couple minutes to come up with the name ``Mrs. Muddle" I guess because it fits so well with befuddled. On her side, Mrs. Muddle has maintained a strategy of plausible deniability, so everything has worked out.

Introducing the Muddles

Mrs. Muddle

One of the very first topics I wrote about in my blog was sports, and women's basketball in particular. Since my dad played basketball in high school in Kansas, and his high school won the state championship in their division back in 1931, I couldn't resist bringing the Muddle family into the storyline. (Dad said you could fit his entire high school student body into a single class room, so I recall.)

Thomas W Muddle
W was the original muddle head

Dad's high school graduation class along with the principal, a teacher, and maybe a custodian or two.

Unnamed DTR

Our family's interest in arena football dates back to the 1980's, when we were fans of the Washington D.C. Commandos. San Jose got it's own arena football team in 1995, and we ordered season tickets the first day they were available. We remained season ticket holders until the AFL folded in 2009. (Rumors.)

The above photo was taken right after the Sabercats won the Western Division in 2002, and were on their way to the Arena Bowl. I just reread my posting about the Sabercats on 25 JAN 2005, and I see that I had called my daughter the ``unidentified daughter"; not ``unnamed daughter" as I later began calling her. I guess I'm glad I screwed that up. I like ``unnamed" better. What do you think?

Of course, every befuddled universe needs an official waggerington; and in this universe, it's me.

(Article continues below casserole photo)

Cheesy Ham and Banana Casserole

Cooked Muddle Casserole

Recently we've had a welcome influx of new folks joining the Befuddled Universe. A Big Hello! Love you guys!

I much appreciate new and old alike. Let me give you a quick tour of the place.

Let the tour begin!

Cook's Tour:

1. The blog has two columns (see example above). There's skinny column on the left (with my photo at the top), and a fat column on the right. (In the example above, Peaches the Chihuahua is at the top of the fat column on the right.) As you've obviously figured out, this big, fat column on the right contains all the main articles. In the skinny column on the left, you'll find (a) personal information about me (see ABOUT for example), (b) help navigating around the blog, and (c)  info about other blogs and stuff I either recommend or find of interest.
2. Like most blogs, articles in this blog have categories. An article's category is listed at the bottom of an article. You can click on the category to find similar articles (e.g., broken_memories).
3. There will probably be 6–10 articles on a page, then there will be a Next » button at the bottom of the page. If you want to go on to the next page click on the Next » button. If you want to return to the top of the page, click on the Mr. Muddle's Befuddled Universe button. (The ``Powered by TypePad" button will take you far, far away. So ignore it.)
4. Recent articles and a handpicked selection of my articles can be found here: http://www.befuddled.org/befuddled/
5. Recent articles only, can be found here: http://www.befuddled.org/blurry/

Comments

I welcome comments on articles, and they're easy to do, once you get the hang of it.

Click away!

To make a comment regarding a special article (i.e., posting) you need to move off the front page, and find the article's permanent location on the blog. There are two ways to do this.

First, you can click on the title of the blog article (e.g., Season's Greetings from Peaches Love). Note that the title is first of each article, the letters are blue.

Second, you can click on the word ``permanent" at the end of each article. This stands for ``permanent link"; or hyperlink.

Email

You can email me using tim at timnull dot com or tim dot null at gmail dot com. (I do not respond to newsletters and press releases, but I make a sincere effort to respond to all personal emails. So if you have sent me a personal email, and you have not received a reply within a reasonable amount of time, please send me a follow up message.)

Address

You can send snail mail to me at:

Tim Null
Mr. Muddle's Befuddled Universe
4960 Almaden EXPY, STE #226
San Jose CA 95118-2007
FAX: (408) 264-6042

Sesame Street — Grover the Flight Attendant

Comic Phil Mazo

Comedian Phil Mazo: ``Seemingly pure, purely unseemly."

Skinny-Blue Humor

I just hooked up with comedian Phil Mazo on Twitter. I was new to Phil's comedy, so I immediately ran over to YouTube to watch his videos. I about spit a gut from laughter. If you're not familiar with Phil Mazo's humor, and you enjoy humor a little blue, then I think you'll enjoy Phil Mazo's stand up comedy. I've included a couple of his video's here for your enjoyment.

Phil Mazo in Madison, WI (the first 6.5 of 30 mins)

DCT Comedy: Phil Mazo ``PERVERT"

High Hopes trailer