Truck Crashes Website
My site was down for several hours this morning after a truck crashed outside of the Webcorelabs office and took out their T1 line. Whoops!
43 Folders Podcast
I don't know how this one slipped under my radar, but Merlin over at 43 Folders has a podcast! I just found out about it and haven't given it a listen, but if the podcast is anything like the website, I think productivity geeks will be very happy.
Shhh!
The silent podcast. Genius?
Jonesing for Turkey
I finally got my greasy little mitts on a Jones Soda holiday pack. I could hardly believe my eyes when I found myself inside of a Super Target staring at Turkey & Gravy soda. I think I blurted out, "Aw, hell no!". I can't remember. It still seems like a dream...a dream come true.
Anyway, I bought a bunch of them to give as gifts and/or sell on eBay. I think last year they were going for around $80 after it was sold out online, which was just minutes after they went on sale.
The website for this year's holiday pack isn't up yet, but here's the link to last year's page. I'm sure the new one will be up in a couple of days.
iTunes Tip: Remember playback position
I download a lot of radio shows and lengthy audio files to put onto my iPod. Some of them are 3-4 hours long and it's annoyed me for awhile that the playback position isn't automatically remembered or bookmarked. I noticed that podcasts are often "smart enough" to remember their last playback position, so I figured there had to be a way to get regular mp3 files to behave this way as well.
I started looking around in iTunes and discovered that this option has been right under my nose this whole time (at least with the latest version of iTunes). Here's how:
- Select a file (sorry, this doesn't work on multiple file selections)
- Right-click or Command+I to "Get Info"
- Select the Options tab
- Check "Remember playback position"
It's that simple. Who knew? (Should I admit that my brain just froze and it took me a few seconds to remember how to spell "who"? Ouch.)
Scoot Quarterly
The new issue of Scoot Quarterly is out, complete with seven of my shots from the scooter rally this summer. It's not a huge deal, but it still feels pretty cool, especially since I'm completely uninspired and haven't been feeling like picking up my camera.
All of my shots from Skooter Du 6 can be found in a gallery over on my photos page.
Charlie Rose
I've been catching bits and pieces of The Charlie Rose Show lately. I used to watch it more regularly and forgot how amazing he is. It really stuns me how good he is. Whether he's interviewing Jay-Z or the Dalai Lama, he never does a half-assed job and is ridiculously informed about his subjects. I look at the bags under his eyes and wonder if he sleeps. He must be doing research every moment that he's awake.
Grape Frosting
For some reason I've been thinking about grape frosting for the past couple of days. Today I got the idea that Wonka should put out with a line of Laffy Taffy flavored frosting. Kids (and I) would love it.
Mothra in Iraq
I could have sworn that I saw a headline on Google today that read:
"US Commander Encounters Mothra in Iraq."
Here's the real headline:
"U.S. Commander Counters Murtha on Iraq."
No Pictures Allowed
I haven't felt much like taking photos lately, but I saw some fresh graffiti and decided to head out with my Lomo. I was feeling pretty good and after a few shots felt like I was starting to "see" again.
I started walking back to my car and saw an old apartment building that I wanted to photograph. I looked around a little bit, moved into position and raised my camera. Before I could snap the shot, a guy popped out of the main door and asked, "Can I help you?"
I immediately felt uncomfortable. He was definitely on the offensive, like a guy looking for a reason to kick my ass. He certainly could have. He was tall, shaved bald, dressed in black, and was wearing a fanny pack. Not that there's anything wrong with that. He was a stereotypical tough guy, except for that fanny pack, though maybe in this case it fits the stereotype.
"Um, I'm just taking a p..."
"Why?!"
"Uh, for fun, art, hobby. Are you the building security guard?"
"Yeah." I seriously doubted this, but didn't want to provoke him. He seemed like he already had his mind made up that I was up to no good.
"Are pictures not allowed?" I knew that there was nothing he could legally do to prevent me from taking a photo of the building, but again, I wasn't looking to get a beat down.
He didn't answer and just stared me down and gestured like he was saying, "What are you going to do about it?" I felt like a wimp, but decided it was best to just keep walking back to my car and accept that the guy was being an asshole.
I got in my car, which was about a block away, and noticed he was still "on guard" in front of the building. As I drove away and passed him, he gave me the "I'm watching you" signal, pointing to his eyes and then to me.
I felt a little sick about not standing up for myself, but I was also pissed off about the situation. I wonder if I could have handled it better. With that guy, I doubt it.
The question now is whether or not I should let it go. Do I call the apartment complex? I really want to know if that was a real security guard or just a "vigilant" citizen.
Dear iView Multimedia
Dear iView Multimedia,
We're done.
Releasing a version before it's been through sufficient beta testing and then telling me that I have until Nov 30th to take advantage of the $99(!) upgrade or I'll have to pay 30% more(!!) is an insult and a scummy marketing move.
With all of the buzz in your own forums about how flawed the new version is, should I really be expected to hurry up and purchase an upgrade? No thanks.
Free Danger Doom CD
I bought an extra copy of the new Danger Doom CD and it can be yours...FREE! I'll even pay the postage. Could I use the $4 I'd get by selling it at the local used CD shop? Sure, but that's not as fun. I love this CD and want it to go to someone that really wants it. Plus, this gets me out of posting again over the long weekend.
The rules are simple: All you have to do is add a comment to this post by 11:59pm CST on Monday, November 28, 2005. At that time I'll run a script to determine a winner at random. Easy!
Wait, there's one catch. In your comment you have to give the names of at least two albums that are heavy in your rotation right now.
Be sure to leave your email address so I can get a hold of you if you win. Don't worry, I will NEVER post, give, or sell your email address and I won't use it for purposes other than this giveaway.
To cut down on comment spam, all comments will be approved before appearing.
Free Danger Doom CD - The Results
And the winner is...
Peter, from blog.nomethod.net. Congratulations! Get in touch with me and I'll get the cd in the mail be the end of the week.
I'm sorry you all couldn't win. I'm going to try to do this once every week or two, so there will be plenty of chances to get a free cd.
I hope everyone had a good weekend.
Okay, I'm off to work.
PriceRitePhoto: Abusive Bait & Switch
I'm sure that most self-respecting geeks have seen this story by now, but I thought I better do my part and pass along the horror story of Thomas Hawk and PriceRitePhoto. The title of Thomas' post says it all, but you should really read the whole thing:
PriceRitePhoto: Abusive Bait and Switch Camera Store
Don't have time for the full article? Here's a link an abridged version on Boing Boing.
