TechTV and G4 are set to merge on May 28 and they're released a website giving some details, including what shows will make the cut. Here are the TechTV shows that will continue:

Anime Unleashed
Body Hits
Eye Drops
Fresh Gear
Future Fighting Machines
Invent This
Robot Wars
The Screen Savers
Thunderbirds
Unscrewed
X-Play

Conspicously absent from this list is Call For Help, hosted by Leo Laporte. I'm not sure what role, if any, he'll play in the new network. Leo's work is a lot better than some of the shows that are making it, but I guess they didn't ask me. I'll just have to wait until May 28 and see if it's still my favorite channel. In the meantime each network has been playing some content from the other network. I'll have to check that out.

I'm helping a couple of college students pick out laptops. They want something small, light and easy to carry. Integrated wi-fi is a must and, naturally, they don't have a lot of coin. I found this: Averatec 3150P

AMD® Athlon® XP-M processor 1.33GHz
256MB RAM,
30GB HD
12.1'' XGA,
DVD/CD-RW, XPP
4.3 lbs (!)
integrated wi-fi
$899

Averatec has some other models that are very similar.

So here are my questions:

1. Has anyone ever heard of Averatec? Do they make good stuff? How is their support?

2. I can't find much info about the Athlon XP-M processor, what do you know about that? I assume that it is to Athlon what the Pentium M is to Intel, but I don't know.

3. Is there any reason not to recommend this computer? The only other alternatives in their price range would be much heavier than 4.3 pounds.

Speak now or lose your right to say 'I told you so.'

I'm thinking of writing an article on this for our church newsletter. My main thought right now is that church and state should be separate, for the good of the church and the good of the state. I ran across this quote from C.S. Lewis about why he doesn't want a theocracy.

What I don't know is to what degree they should be seperated and how that would look with specific issues, like gay marriage, 'In God We Trust' on money, the pledge of alligiance, prayer in school, evolution in school, etc. I know that when prayer was 'removed' from my school (teachers couldn't lead students in prayer) I was in junior high and I didn't panic. I knew that I could still pray silently. I didn't want teachers making me pray and I didn't really like listening to a sermon at the school Christmas and Easter assemblies.

So I'm not too sure about what I think, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to handle the backlash of questioning the generally accepted idea that separation is bad. Help me out here.