Toyota builds the only Real Truck

Anytime you talk about trucks you get the usual tripe between the Ford guys and the Chevy guys. It invariably turns into some sort of pissing match (encouraged by those idiotic stickers showing Calvin urinating on a company logo).
Whenever you mention Toyota to these guys they all scoff and call you a pansy. Usually I find this seems to encourage the idea that they are ignorant, conservative americans (or Canadians who wish George Bush was the Prime Minister). I'm not saying I this about these guys. It just doesn't do anything for the stereotype.
Anyway, stereotypes aside, the point of this blog is that Toyota trucks pretty much kick all other trucks in the butt, very hard.
And here is why. It is a video of the fantastic show, Top Gear, as they attempt to destroy a Toyota Hilux (basically a Tacoma in Canada). They do everything to it including crashing, drowning, burning and dropping off an imploding high-rise.
Its a good video.

A Serious Swiss Army Knife

Since I am heading to Nova Scotia the blog will be inactive for a few days. So I am keeping everybody entertained with a crazy Swiss Army Knife picture.

GooHoo or Yahgle

I came by this story (Slashdot) about Yahoo turning down Microsoft's bid and turning to Google. I have been following this story for a while now, all the while secretly hoping that this was going to happen.
I know its not all good news because competition is good but wouldn't it be awesome to have both flickr and del.icio.us under your google account. I would definitely be using them more.

A Moog Guitar!!!

The guys who invented the synth which revolutionized music back in the day are back with a pretty freakin amazing guitar.
From what I hear, this guitar may be pretty revolutionary.
Check out this video of some guitarists (including Lou Reed) trying it out.

I am no guitarist but it does sound pretty amazing. The only problem I foresee is that you can do too much. I always enjoy stripped down indie folk-rock and I'm not sure if this guitar would fit in with those kinds of songs.

Here are some stats:

FULL SUSTAIN MODE - like no other sustainer; infinite sustain on every string, at every fret position and at any volume. You may have heard sustain before but not with this power (we call it "Vo Power") and clarity.

CONTROLLED SUSTAIN MODE - allows you to play sustained single or polyphonic lines without muting technique. The Moog Guitar sustains the notes you are playing while actively muting the strings you are not playing.

MUTE MODE - removes energy from the strings, resulting in a variety of staccato articulations. The mute mode has never been heard on any other guitar; the Vo Power stops the strings with the same intensity that it sustains them. You feel the instrument transform in your hands.

HARMONIC BLENDS – use the included foot pedal to shift the positive energy of Vo Power in Sustain mode and the subtractive force of Vo Power in Mute mode between the bridge and neck pick-ups to pull both subtle and dramatic harmonics from the strings.

MOOG FILTER - control the frequency of the built-in, resonant Moog ladder filter using the foot pedal or a CV Input.

Wal-Mart with AC/DC

This story (about AC/DC selling their latest cd exclusively at Wal-Mart) is amusing on so many levels. First of all, I think it says a lot about AC/DC fans. It doesn't surprise me that same people who feel quantity is more important than quality are the same people who listen to boring, cliche music. The article says a lot about Wal-Mart. But it is really nothing we didn't know already. Wal-Mart = crap.
Secondly, this article captures the sad state of the major music industry quite well. I think it is quite amusing how it describes how the labels are losing not only the indie artists (which, in my opinion, is creating a resurgence in great new music) but also the bigger names. The funny thing about this is where the bigger names are going. They are flocking to companies who in turn leech off them as part of their marketing strategy. It just smells so capitalistic. Everybody leeching off everybody else for the sake of money.
Oh well, these are not things that will ever change. People will always be flocking like sheep to latest fad, whether it is introduced by MGM Studios or the local Wal-Mart.
And it keeps the economy going I guess.