MARK CAREY

If you are looking for unique greeting cards, take a look at the new Greeting Cards House site. This site has just been launched by my mother-in-law. The cards look great, I have seen them! The web site is still a bit of a work in progress, as she will be making some adjustments and additions to it. But if you are interested in buying some greeting cards, or even if you have a request for a certain type of photo or image, use the "contact us" link on the site.

My father recently passed away. His pain has ended, and he is resting peacefully.

More information at the memorial web site for Ted Carey (http://www.tedcarey.com).

I recently launched my first photo blog, Extra Sensory Exposure. It is powered by Movable Type, Flickr, and listed on Photoblogs.org. I am going to try to post a photo a day, but I have been known to get busy at times...

I finally did it.

It used to be that every year I would take a week off coffee, consume no caffeine for a full week - just to show that I could. About 4 years ago I tried this for the first time in a few years, and failed. On day two, I felt really sick. To the point that I had to go home from work. Later that day I had a coffee. Perhaps it was just coincidence, perhaps I was getting sick anyway - but it took four years for me to try it again.

This time I decided to do things gradually, rather than cold turkey. Over a span of the past 3 months, I gradually reduced my coffee intake from 4 cups a day to 3 cups a day and then to two cups a day. After that, I reduced it to one cup in the moring and a cup of Yerba Mate tea in the afternoon (Yerba Mate is an organic tea that contains some naturally occuring caffeine - not a lot - and 149 nutrients). Finally, 3 weeks ago, I eliminated the coffee altogther, having Yerba Mate in the morning and afternoon. A week later, it was only one cup of Yerba Mate, in the afternoon. Then finally last week zero caffeine for the entire seven days. I had some minor headaches, but nothing too bad, since I stepped things down slowly.

I am now drinking my first coffee in three weeks. Going forward, I am still going to drink coffee, of course, but probably not as much. :)

Smells Like Sour 11 is here. This release has been one of the toughest selection processes yet, with so many decent songs being releases in the past 6 months.

The song line-up is as follows:

1. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
2. Modest Mouse - Float On
3. Velvet Revolver - Slither
4. The Strokes - Reptilia
5. The Killers - Somebody Told Me
6. Incubus - Megalomaniac
7. Brand New - Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades
8. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
9. Billy Talent - The Ex
10. Metric - Combat Baby
11. Slipknot - Duality
12. Korn - Y'all Want a Single
13. Audioslave - What You Are
14. Linkin Park - Lying From You
15. The Vines - Ride
16. Beastie Boys - Ch-Check It Out
17. The Distillers - Beat Your Heart Out
18. The Tragically Hip - Vaccination Scar
19. Broken Social Scene - Cause=Time
20. Probot - Shake Your Blood
21. Jet - Cold Hard Bitch
22. The Offspring - Can't Get My Head Around You
23. The White Stripes - I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself

For more info and commentary, see Mike's comments in the new Smells Like Sour Blog.

SUVs Suck Bumper Sticker

What do they call is Lord of the Rings? I've seen all three movies. There's only one ring. Why isn't it called "The Lord of Ring"? Is it just me?

Today I received a (very small) mention in the New York Times regarding my Mars Rover Blog. The mentions occurs on page two of the article, which can be found here.

Aside: In the reading the article, I learned that I am a graphics designer. I learn something new every day ;-)

In an ill-advised attempt to block spam, AOL is blocking all email the originates from residential IP addresses. When I tried to send an email to an AOL email address, I received the following error:

Received: 554- (RTR:BB) The IP address you are using to connect to AOL is a dynamic (residential) IP address. AOL will not accept future e-mail transactions from your address until your ISP removes your IP from its list of dynamic (residential) IP addresses. For additional information, please visit http://postmaster.info.aol.com.

What a stupid way to fight spam. This will block tons of legitimate email. AOL subscribers will realize that people can't email them and they will have yet another reason to cancel AOL.

I probably shouldn't be telling you, but I have in my possession a magical container. It's a small after shave container, and I don't think it can ever be emptied. I received the bottle as part of a shaving accessories gift over two years ago - the bottle is now still half full. Admittedly, I don't shave everyday - rather about 3 times per week. Usually a bottle of aftershave will last maybe 6 months - this one is still going strong after 4 times that - over two full years. I apply this stuff generously too, at least in the past year. I probably should get some NASA scientists to check it out, perhaps it's alien. I have considered filling it with expensive wine or something, to test if the bottomless effect applies to substances other than aftershave. I will post the results of my experiment.