So, Apple currently doesn’t offer an (easily) upgradable PC (as in “personal computer”, not “Windows Computer”) that’s affordable to the mainstream. To upgrade a Mac Mini requires a few putty knives, a lot of determination, acute care, and nerves of steel. To upgrade anything else they make (Besides the $2800+ Mac Pro) is pretty much impossible.

Some people don’t like this: after all, why should I have to buy a whole new computer every time I want to add another Hard Drive, or get a faster graphics card? And speaking of graphics cards…why should I have to buy a computer with a built-in monitor (iMac) or shell out nearly $3000 (Mac Pro) if I want to play a 3D shooter or two? Select any $800 windows box, spend $140 on a GFX card, and you’re rocking some decent fun!

Yet, because the EULA on OSX does not allow for installation on hardware that isn’t “Apple-labeled” (whatever that means), no one else can sell computers to install OSX on. And yes, OSX is worth installing.

All of that is (possibly) about to change.

Actually, it most probably will not change, but Psystar is going to try to sell non-Apple computers with OSX Preinstalled. Wait for it, wait for it…

Lawsuit.

Personally, I think this is awesome. Allow other people to enjoy the goodness of OSX without being constrained to a chioce between 5 or 6 different computer models. Let competition do its thing. But, alas, Apple will probably throw a ton of money at the justice system and just out-litigate Psystar. <sigh> As usual, the whole situation can be aptly summed up by Dumb and Dumber:

Lloyd: What do you think the chances are of a guy like you and a girl like me…ending up together?

Mary: Not good.

Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?

Mary: I’d say more like one out of a million.

Lloyd: So you’re telling me there’s a chance. Yeah!

Josh, who is much more of a creative guy, challenged me to sum up my life in 6 words. It’s tough to do, but this is what has come to me so far. There’s so much missing, but so much here.

(oh, if you’re using Internet Explorer 6 or lower, this will look like crap. You should upgrade to Mozilla Firefox today so you can experience the internet like it was meant to be seen)

So if you haven’t gotten a letter yet, you will. You’re getting some free money from the Government if you pay your taxes this year. That’s right, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. I read some guy’s blog who claimed that this was similiar to 2001, when people got their next years’ tax refunds a year in advance (and were thus pretty mad), so I did some looking, and found the IRS Webpage ESP FAQs.

Q. Will the payment I receive in 2008 reduce my 2008 refund or increase the amount I owe for 2008?

A. No, the stimulus payment will not reduce your refund or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2008 return.

Rock on! So Lisa and I should be getting a check for $1,200 back of that $2,400 we paid extra to Uncle Sam this spring. As a good boy, I intend to blow it all per the Government’s instructions! (well, OK, maybe I’ll only blow some of my half, because I’m too much of a tightwad to blow $600.) Let’s see, I can get…

• BDAG Greek Lexicon ($120)
• 171 Gallons of Gas (at $3.50/gal)
• 0.97 credit hours of tuition at Trinity ($615/hr)
• 20 days’ rent
• Nintendo Wii ($250) (impossible to find…)
• Some more Ibex clothes ($ ? – this is actually possible…)
• A new Graphics card for my computer ($100?)
• An HDTV tuner for my mac, so I can record Lost in HD ($150)

How about you? Are you going to be a good citizen and try to revive our economy with your extra cash? Just make sure it has a Made in USA sticker on it! (Sorry, shameless plug.)

Oh, yeah, and you better enjoy having cash, because rumor has it that the Government may just raise taxes by 4 times as much as they dole out in rebates. I hope those rich suckers are the ones that have to pick up the extra tab, ‘cuz I can’t afford more taxes!

So I spent too much money on a shirt. This is certainly not me: it should have been some new technology, or at the very least some media, or a stinking expensive Greek Lexicon. But it’s a shirt.

Through Step2, I made a contact with Ibex Outdoor Clothing last year, and he highly lauded the merits of the merino wool Ibex makes their clothing from. Supposedly, it’s like the holy grail of materials for making active wear. I went a year without really getting interested in the stuff (I’m not too active…), but they happened to send me an email this week at the exact right time. (Long story, I actually was going to buy a new graphics card…)

I checked out the site, and the Shak Jersey really caught my eye. Not only were the reviews overwhelmingly positive, but they also reinforced what this guy had been telling me. I looked around the internet, and lo and behold, I couldn’t find anything negative about this jersey. So I crumbled, and busted out the old credit card number. (Granted, I did get a discount on it, but still pretty pricey for something you can get in synthetic for much cheaper)

But now I’m super excited about this shirt (tracking info says I’d get it on Saturday, if TIU’s mail room wasn’t closed! ) If it’s half as sweet as everyone says, it will be more than worth the cost. I’ll post a further review when it comes in.

In the meantime, have any of you had any great (or not-so-great) experiences with Ibex clothes? Typically I’m pretty frugal, but this merino wool’s supposed to be worth it!

The guy over at Upstart Blogger is giving away a Macbook Air for reviewing his site, (well, a chance at a Macbook Air) so I thought I’d jump in the fray. One thing’s for sure–if he’s trying to teach people how to drum up a growing blog audience, he certainly has a clue about it.

Content-wise, this guy seems to do pretty well, though I must admit that I passionately hate all the leading underscores on his site, as they make me feel like I’m losing my mind. Read some of the articles over there though, especially if you’re interested in getting started blogging as a source of income. He’s got some great tips, and he seems to be following them well. (as in, this doctor isn’t afraid to take his own medicine)

It’s all about the linkbait, and the ol’ Upstart Blogger seems to have his ducks in a row. The only question is, will he actually give away a Macbook Air? I hope so, to me that is!

I’m so proud of IndyStar.com, and yet, at the same point…it’s kind of sad that this actually needed to be said. Shouldn’t people already know this?

Spoiling your kids is a bad thing.