The Flip MinoHD vs. Kodak Zi6 shootout is done

I just finished up the testing of the MinoHD against the Kodak Zi6. It was close for a long time and still either camcorder is a great unit but one pulled ahead in the final minutes. Be sure to check this blog for the link to the squidoo page for detail.

Kodak Zi6

Picked one up based on 'net comments that the video was bettah. Will review all of 'em in detail very shortly.

Trying to get Netfishbowl redesigned and working.

The Netfishbowl site is changing to a new standard width of 1024 pixels. I'm working to redesign the site to take advantage of the extra real estate (yeah I know the whole world is moving to the iPhone *sigh*). That has taken more time than I really expected. It has penalized some of my other activities - I apologize folks.

"Make Life Better"

I don't believe in reducing one's self to a slogan anymore than I think "labels" are anything more than "Thinking For Dummies". Every once in a while, I manage to hit upon something that says what I meant to say. So the new tagline for the xackr network and 2point6 is "make life better."

The naysayers will whine on about what that means but I think if you pause for a second and think about the line - ideas will start to flow.

"Make life better" is one of those things you inherently know how to do in your knower.

Love Is ...

I eat fast food. I guess we all do. I eat fast food fast too. This means ripping through all the pieces that are not food and tossing them out of the way. I was cleaning up after a session with a Turkey Bacon sandwich when I finally took a second (too long) to look at the art on the bag. The graphic designer (who was probably retching while making this art) was kind enough to put the red heart on a solid magenta block so if you don't squint it just looks like "I PEPPER BACON." Which probably lots of folks do. I know I've peppered bacon.

BUT when you squint - wait... she HEARTS pepper bacon. Yes this young lady staring dreamily into space is in love. In love with pepper bacon. That seems sad to me. There is more to life than bacon and pepper. So I started to feel bad for her.

Then it hit me! Maybe Pepper Bacon is Kevin Bacon's hot sister! Now that would make sense. Who couldn't love Kevin Bacon's hot sister?

America! Love it or eat your bacon with salt, buster.

About to Flip out

Opening the volkswagon beetle of camcorders now.

See The Flower, Be The Flower

I wish I could say I thought this one up myself. I got it from a picture taken by my very dear friend Teal Freenote. It was an adorable picture of tiny Teal in a lavender flower print dress in a field of flowers. It struck me on several levels. Resonated deep within me. A mini lesson in the essence of life in a moment.

I can't think of anything more calming and beautiful than looking at flowers. My yard is filled with them because my wife has a horticulture degree and she loves to tinker in our yard. In the spring it is one surprise after another with a new splash of color or just watching the butterflies move from bloom to bloom. Seeing the flower for me opens a door to perceiving the capacity for simplicity and beauty in the world. Jesus even recognized it when he told us "consider the lillies of the field they neither toll nor sweat but look how beautiful they are." (wildly paraphrased of course). Supposedly, the Buddha transmitted Zen to a disciple just by holding up a Lotus Blossom. So there is no question there is a transcendental aspect to "seeing the flower." That connection with beauty, is both calming and meditative.

The next step is a little harder because our lives have become a spurious fight to not be a "have not". We are under tremendous pressure to perform for our various earthly masters to stay out of jail and stay out of the hospital and still have something to do at night. It has become a science to take our money and give us the least amount of value possible for it. This leaves us chapped and feeling slightly used and often the things we do buy are only fleetingly satisfying because they either are less than the marketing material or they break. So many mornings when you wake up it's very hard to think "be the flower." It's a shame because being the flower is the essence of graceful living. Being the flower means bringing that part of you that connects with the flower (and ultimately the universe) forward into your personal reality. It means letting go of struggling to be beautiful and just being. It means being the landing spot for butterflies and bees who will get a little tipsy off your nectar then fly away. It means blooming where you are planted and not delaying your happiness until this or that can be accomplished.

Ultimately, it means that being happy is not the result of effort but the free gift of existing in the moment without hesitation or fear. I'll be writing much more about seeing the flower and being the flower in weeks to come. Thanks Teal and Mrs. Xackr for the inspiration you provide.

I'm BACK

Yep revived by the excitement of the 2008 election year I have decided to revive XACKR. With some modifications of course. Instead of just being about Web 2.6, I am expanding it's coverage to what I call 'Net Earth 2.6. 'Net Earth is different from the web in the sense that the connection between the Internet and real and virtual life is blurring for many of us. Huge progress has been made all in the name of spreading ads. Economic collapse has focused our attention on what we did wrong. There has never been a better time to xack the planet.

So I will be covering a combination of "A New Earth" meets "Web 2.6" meets "Second Life" meets "Real Life" meets "How To Get Things Done." All in a swirl. Stay tuned.

Vist the web site at http://www.xackr.com.