It's Official: The world has gone to hell in a handbasket. Should we care that Brad will adopt Jolie's kids? NO!Not only is he adopting her kids, apparently they'll soon be Mr. and Mrs. Smith... errrr... I mean Pitt-Jolie. Or is that Jolie-Pitt? Whose wearing the pants? I can never tell.It's big news though. MSNBC has a blurb on it. Reuters is spamming the hatred. So it's quite obvious that we should care. Hey, even I'm spreading the word, but that's only because I think it's so stupid and I'm trying to find some converts.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Dave and Oprah
There's been a lot of talk about Oprah Winfrey appearing on Late Night with David Letterman. I just have to say, "Who cares?" I mean, really, he insulted her in 1989, just like he insults everyone, and she took it hard and hasn't returned in 16 years. Big deal? If he treated me like crap I probably wouldn't call him back either. His push to have her on, which I remember seeing every single night a couple of years ago when I was watching, was obviously just a ratings push. And he's milked it to the end. The only thing her visit to his show was, was a push for Dave's ratings and more people hyped up the event than it ever deserved.If you really want to see Oprah on TV, you can tune in every day at 3pm (or maybe it's 4, I'm not sure).
Billy Joel
Now I'm anything but a Billy Joel fan, but he has a 4 CD set coming out called "My Lives." Which sounds suiting, wouldn't you agree? What I know of Billy Joel is probably about as much as I know of Origami. Not much, to be sure. But he's led an incredible life as "The Piano Man." The amazing part of his life is... The girls he's been with. Is he that good looking? Maybe it's just that women love a man that can play the piano? I don't know, but apparently Elle MacPherson and Christie Brinkly saw something. And his current wife, who is far less than half his age, either thought his piano playing was sexy, or maybe his bank account. I'm not sure which one. What's with older men and young women? Is there a rule I don't know about? When I'm closing in on 50 am I supposed to ditch my wife and find a little hotty? Is the mid-life crisis real? I think it just might be a socially acceptable excuse that men use so that they can go and find little young hotties and get rid of their tired old wives. Maybe. Or they're just not real men. That's more than likely.Anyway, as much as I don't like his style of music, I'll probably find the time to check it out. It just so happens that I recently found out this slower type of music is excellent for studying to. Weird, hey?
40 Year Old Virgin part 2
So I don't want to have to do this, but here goes.
Here are the two pictures. It's not exact, but c'mon! When you haven't seen pictures of DD in a while, they look similar! Jeffery, you non-believer. Dammit!
ps. good luck with your lawsuit.
Here are the two pictures. It's not exact, but c'mon! When you haven't seen pictures of DD in a while, they look similar! Jeffery, you non-believer. Dammit!
ps. good luck with your lawsuit.
smenita
I've disabled the word verification on my blogs for the moment. There seems to be a problem on Blogger's end where the picture that comes up is "smenita", but the word it's expecting is not that. If you do a search it sounds like a lot, if not all, of the Blogger users are having the same problem.
NT
NT
HIV and AIDS
I blogged once before about AIDS and HIV. To go along with Heather's first post and second post, I found an article on MSNBC and thought I'd comment on it. I have had a few friends from my past, while living in Vancouver that either had HIV, or died from AIDS, and I've seen what it can do. Gary, a great guy living in Seattle, was skinnier than one could ever imagine. The last time I visited him, about 2 weeks before he died, he was hardly able to walk, not able to eat, and the bacteria in his mouth made it hard for him to swallow. It was painful to see, never mind live through. I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to know you were going to die any day.So I was looking through my feeds today and ran across this article. I think, from what I read, that the hope for a vaccine is there, but the answers Larry Corey gives throughout the article don't instill any sense of confidence in the fact that they are any closer to a cure than they were 10 or 15 years ago. The little glimmer of hope comes from his answer when questioned on where they stand in development.
In the last few years, we've developed vaccines that we think are getting the magnitude and the breadth (or the diversity of T cell responses) that was achieved with other successful vaccines like the small pox vaccine. We have started to embark on a series of efficacy trials to see if these vaccines will work. That is where the field is.I'm not quite sure how close that is, as he doesn't say, but eventually they solved the small pox problem, right?The part of this whole thing that really puzzles me is what's discussed next. Mr. Corey talks about the implications of letting the private sector take on the huge task of finding a vaccine almost 20 years ago. You see, the problem, he says, is that all vaccines are only worth about $8,000,000,000 (yes, that's billion) worldwide. The drug companies don't really want to pursue a market with a puny income potential as that. If it costs them a few hundred million, or even a billion dollars, to develop the vaccine, their only looking at profits of $7 billion, which just isn't enough.In the U.S., the total market for Lipitor, which is a cholesterol drug, is $8 billion. That's just for the United States. There's the whole world out there wanting this drug. Hey, the Lipitor people take my $100 a month, and I'm just one person.So to develop a wonder drug like Lipitor, any statin, or something similar, the drug companies stand to gain profits ten times what an AIDS vaccine will bring in. It's a sad world we live in when $7,000,000,000 in profit just isn't enough to save 52 million lives.So what does this all mean? Well, the smaller private companies and public companies are going to have to take over. People who are looking to find a cure for just that reason, are able to live on what grant money they get, and aren't out looking for their own billion dollars.The only great thing said is his last quote:
It depends on what the data show. I can't give those promises. We'll know at the end of 2007 whether the approach [used in the Merck and the Vaccine Research Center vaccines] does something. Even if it's a modest amount, we'll know which fork to take so we can improve upon it in a much more goal-directed way. These are very important trials. We designed the trial on purpose to get as quick a read-out as we could to tell us what to do next. If we get great results, we'll design trials for licensure. If it's lesser results, then we'll build upon that and we'll develop a better vaccine.
It's hopeful, but not hopeful enough. If the results from the studies using the current vaccines aren't good enough then it's back to the drawing board. Sure, they've learned a lot up to this point, and it's not all wasted time, but how many more millions of people are going to die in the meantime? Maybe, if G.W. didn't spend all that money getting his oil, he could've put it towards research and university education. Then maybe we wouldn't have to worry about this pandemic anymore.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Google in the Doghouse?
I read this and thought the worst had happened. Could it be that once your company is worth more than a billion dollars its products must turn to crap? Just might be. Well, to see what I'm talking about read this.
It's nice to see Microsoft and Google's respective technologies working in tandem - but not so nice to see it used to expose data on your own hard disk to a malicious website operator.Security researcher Matan Gillon has published a proof-of-concept flaw that exploits Google Desktop, the search software that runs on a local PC, and Internet Explorer 6.Right away a wave of disappointment ran through me. I couldn't believe that Google would pull a 'MS' and release something resembling something more like a slice of swiss cheese than a good piece of software. In their quest for Internet domination could Google be rushing their products out the door? It's something that bugs me more than anything else about the big companies.Well, the next paragraph, which I should add, is after an advertisement that pushes it down off the screen, brings the whole situation into the light.
The principal culprit, once again, is Microsoft's lax and inconsistent implementation of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in Internet Explorer. A web site can inject code into a page which allows it to execute on a remote machine.
Did I not just complain for a few straight days about MS and their support for CSS? Of course I did. Google, on the other hand, can't be left blameless in this situation. Their careless programming left this security hole wide open. I know they can't be expected to test every single piece of software from other companies to insure that it will work flawlessly with their own product, but this is Microsoft IE. It's not a small name product with little or no marketshare. Millions use IE, which means Google should have done more thorough testing to ensure a safe surfing experience from their Google Bar.
Mish Mash
I wasn't about to post any of this stuff. The reason is that most of it is just gossip, but some of it is just priceless. Paris is the best singer ever, Eva is amazingly beautiful, and so on, and so on.
From an interview with ContactMusic -- Eva Longoria has to be right up there on the list of stupidest person alive.
Who says stuff like that? That's just ridiculous! I'll say it, 'Oh, poor you!'.
Tara Reid is having support issues after her surgery.
From the pages of Socialite's Life comes the most anticipated link of the season. Paris is preparing to yodel her way to the top.
Joey is about to go the way of his 'Friends'. NBC has decided that the shitcom just isn't worth the it anymore. It will be replaced with 'My Name is Earl', a show I find much funnier. Following that will be The Office, another very funny show.
The best part of this news is that Scrubs will be returning. I'm not sure what they were thinking when they didn't bring it back right away in September, and I'm sure you can find out on the forums at TV.com, but it's the best show on TV. They should, in fact, force the cast to work through the summer so that we have something good to watch while we're being bombarded by reruns.
From an interview with ContactMusic -- Eva Longoria has to be right up there on the list of stupidest person alive.
She says, "I've lost a lot of jobs because I was too pretty. And everybody's like, 'Oh, poor you.' But seriously, you don't get the good roles when you're beautiful."
Who says stuff like that? That's just ridiculous! I'll say it, 'Oh, poor you!'.
Tara Reid is having support issues after her surgery.
From the pages of Socialite's Life comes the most anticipated link of the season. Paris is preparing to yodel her way to the top.
Joey is about to go the way of his 'Friends'. NBC has decided that the shitcom just isn't worth the it anymore. It will be replaced with 'My Name is Earl', a show I find much funnier. Following that will be The Office, another very funny show.
The best part of this news is that Scrubs will be returning. I'm not sure what they were thinking when they didn't bring it back right away in September, and I'm sure you can find out on the forums at TV.com, but it's the best show on TV. They should, in fact, force the cast to work through the summer so that we have something good to watch while we're being bombarded by reruns.
NBC will fill the "Earl"/"Office" void Tuesdays with back-to-back episodes of "Scrubs."
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Oh, How Right I Am
For those who dont' believe me...
You see, it's not that difficult to be right when you're poking a stick at Microsoft.
It's not that I hate Bill. Bill's a brilliant person who's taken his company from a garage to... Well, you get the point. I also don't really hate Microsoft. I'm using Windows right now. I could install Linux. I could run it off of my other machine, but I choose to use something a bit more user friendly (even if it is less stable).
No, you see, the thing I hate about Microsoft, and all companies that do this, for that matter, is the fact that they rush their things out the door before proper testing has been done. Is it a case of quantity over quality? I think so. They need to figure out the software, plug those holes, and then release it.
I also dislike that MS forces you to use certain products, or tries, because they bundle their software together. You do have the choice not to use it, but why buy something when you're being force fed to use something that you already paid for? Well, with so many programs in different languages being mashed together, they're bound to have problems.
So, as this eWeek article says, they're thinking about releasing this patch, but they're going to thoroughly test it first. But are they? I bet we see the patch tomorrow.
What's the point? Go get Firefox before someone takes over your computer.
"Redmond Mulls Emergency Patch for IE Attacks."
You see, it's not that difficult to be right when you're poking a stick at Microsoft.
It's not that I hate Bill. Bill's a brilliant person who's taken his company from a garage to... Well, you get the point. I also don't really hate Microsoft. I'm using Windows right now. I could install Linux. I could run it off of my other machine, but I choose to use something a bit more user friendly (even if it is less stable).
No, you see, the thing I hate about Microsoft, and all companies that do this, for that matter, is the fact that they rush their things out the door before proper testing has been done. Is it a case of quantity over quality? I think so. They need to figure out the software, plug those holes, and then release it.
I also dislike that MS forces you to use certain products, or tries, because they bundle their software together. You do have the choice not to use it, but why buy something when you're being force fed to use something that you already paid for? Well, with so many programs in different languages being mashed together, they're bound to have problems.
So, as this eWeek article says, they're thinking about releasing this patch, but they're going to thoroughly test it first. But are they? I bet we see the patch tomorrow.
What's the point? Go get Firefox before someone takes over your computer.
Nick and Jessica
Okay, so I wrote a quick snip about their breakup. I really didn't want to, but it was news, and people like that kind of stuff.
On a side note, apparently Garfleck had a baby today, if anyone cares. I told my wife that and her only thought was, "What did they name it? Apple? Orange?" Ahhh... Celebs these days. But back to what I was saying.
Rumours (Yes, rumours, not rumors. I am Canadian after all) are running rampant about the goings on of these two. Why do we care so much? Do people love them that much? Are we their best friends? I suppose they're just famous enough that we are.
So, they've split. People are taking it hard. It's a bad time for all of us. They were supposed to last. They were just "Newly Weds." If you find any of this absurd, you have to check out this video from thepostshow.com. Extremely funny stuff. The truth behind the parody should make this the lamest video, but it only enhances it. Oh, and if you want to read and watch more nonsense such as this, check out VH1's Best Week Ever Blog RSS feed (or just the blog). Funny articles every day.
On a side note, apparently Garfleck had a baby today, if anyone cares. I told my wife that and her only thought was, "What did they name it? Apple? Orange?" Ahhh... Celebs these days. But back to what I was saying.
Rumours (Yes, rumours, not rumors. I am Canadian after all) are running rampant about the goings on of these two. Why do we care so much? Do people love them that much? Are we their best friends? I suppose they're just famous enough that we are.
So, they've split. People are taking it hard. It's a bad time for all of us. They were supposed to last. They were just "Newly Weds." If you find any of this absurd, you have to check out this video from thepostshow.com. Extremely funny stuff. The truth behind the parody should make this the lamest video, but it only enhances it. Oh, and if you want to read and watch more nonsense such as this, check out VH1's Best Week Ever Blog RSS feed (or just the blog). Funny articles every day.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Avril LeThespian
How many levels of wrong is this? Avril, who I recall said she would never act after optioning Skater Boi, is now going to be in a Richard Gere film? Wrong, wrong, wrong.
MTV is reporting that Avril will star in a crime drama starring Richard Gere and Claire Danes entitled 'The Flock'. Even though it's only supposed to be a few lines, it's still wrong. She should stick to her forte, and that would be singing. I'm not a fan of the music, but at least she does it well! I've seen the videos, it's not a the best performance of the year...
The premise sends chills down my spine. Gere, also not one of my favourites, is also good at what he does. Maybe he'll be on her next album. That'll be some fun, won't it?
Now this, this I can understand. There's so much more to being in front of a camera than being behind a microphone. I'm actually looking forward to Over the Hedge. The Flock -- not so much.
To see Avril's latest look, check out the link to the MTV article.
MTV is reporting that Avril will star in a crime drama starring Richard Gere and Claire Danes entitled 'The Flock'. Even though it's only supposed to be a few lines, it's still wrong. She should stick to her forte, and that would be singing. I'm not a fan of the music, but at least she does it well! I've seen the videos, it's not a the best performance of the year...
"Lavigne will be in New Mexico this week to film her handful of scenes, according to a spokesperson for her management, who said the 21-year-old singer is just testing the waters with a few lines in the indie crime drama. Lavigne went through the standard audition process to land the role in the movie, in which Gere plays a federal agent who has to track down a missing girl he is convinced has a connection to the paroled sex offender he is tracking."
The premise sends chills down my spine. Gere, also not one of my favourites, is also good at what he does. Maybe he'll be on her next album. That'll be some fun, won't it?
"...an upcoming role as a possum named Heather in the animated DreamWorks film "Over the Hedge," due in May. In her first film role, she'll share (virtual) screen time with William Shatner, onscreen dad Bruce Willis and Gary Shandling."
Now this, this I can understand. There's so much more to being in front of a camera than being behind a microphone. I'm actually looking forward to Over the Hedge. The Flock -- not so much.
To see Avril's latest look, check out the link to the MTV article.
Christmas Shopping
As I've said in other posts -- We're not doing presents this year. I know, it's aweful, but we figure it's just a waste of money. For those of you who are going to shop, and online, there's some things you ought to know.
It seems that Newsweek is full of interesting articles this week. With each new one that I blog about, I think it pushes me that much closer to subscribing. I'm not a magazine person (except 'BIKE'), but even the articles I haven't blogged about are interesting. I feel cheap for using them as a source so much, but they have the most interesting stuff, so what is a person supposed to do?
This article has 12 pointers to online holiday shopping. Now, most of them seem to be common sense, but there are a few that are interesting.
Number three, to me, is just common sense, but after reading it over I bet there are more than a few of you who don't look to make sure a site is secure before purchasing something. It's vitally important that there not be anyone hanging on to your transaction. If they are, they'll find out a lot more about you than you want them to. So make that padlock is locked. If you do forget to look and make sure the connection is secure, and something bad does happen, follow point four and always use a credit card for online payments. You'll have little hassle getting your money back from the CC companies.
This is one, I'll admit, that I did not know. I can't specifically think of a time that I have purchased anything through a pop-up screen, but I'm sure I have. I seem to recall it being a major business too. That's odd. It would have been a few years ago though, and nothing bad has happened, so I should be okay ;)
The other points are all valid and useful, but, again, nothing I think the average consumer shouldn't already know (I know, you're saying something like 'you'd be surprised,' and I'm sure I would).
Another article, along the same lines, but dealing with Phishers, is here. I think it's important information to have in your artillery. I was once offered a list of 5,000 credit card numbers and expiry dates, all retrieved from a big name website, and only a few hours old. I don't remember who this person was, but they had obtained it somehow, and they were passing it around IRC to anyone who might want it.
Check your CC bills, make sure you're sites are secure, make sure everything's copacetic, and then you can enjoy your holiday shopping.
It seems that Newsweek is full of interesting articles this week. With each new one that I blog about, I think it pushes me that much closer to subscribing. I'm not a magazine person (except 'BIKE'), but even the articles I haven't blogged about are interesting. I feel cheap for using them as a source so much, but they have the most interesting stuff, so what is a person supposed to do?
This article has 12 pointers to online holiday shopping. Now, most of them seem to be common sense, but there are a few that are interesting.
"4. Look for signs that online purchases are secure. At the point that you are providing your payment information, the beginning of the Web site address should change from http to shttp or https, indicating that the information is being encrypted—turned into code that can only be read by the seller. Your browser may also signal that the information is secure with a symbol, such as a broken key that becomes whole or a padlock that closes."
Number three, to me, is just common sense, but after reading it over I bet there are more than a few of you who don't look to make sure a site is secure before purchasing something. It's vitally important that there not be anyone hanging on to your transaction. If they are, they'll find out a lot more about you than you want them to. So make that padlock is locked. If you do forget to look and make sure the connection is secure, and something bad does happen, follow point four and always use a credit card for online payments. You'll have little hassle getting your money back from the CC companies.
"5. Never enter your personal information in a pop-up screen. When you visit a company's Web site, an unauthorized pop-up screen created by an identity thief could appear, with blanks for you to provide your personal information. Legitimate companies don't ask for personal information via pop-up screens. Install pop-up blocking software to avoid this type of scam."
This is one, I'll admit, that I did not know. I can't specifically think of a time that I have purchased anything through a pop-up screen, but I'm sure I have. I seem to recall it being a major business too. That's odd. It would have been a few years ago though, and nothing bad has happened, so I should be okay ;)
The other points are all valid and useful, but, again, nothing I think the average consumer shouldn't already know (I know, you're saying something like 'you'd be surprised,' and I'm sure I would).
Another article, along the same lines, but dealing with Phishers, is here. I think it's important information to have in your artillery. I was once offered a list of 5,000 credit card numbers and expiry dates, all retrieved from a big name website, and only a few hours old. I don't remember who this person was, but they had obtained it somehow, and they were passing it around IRC to anyone who might want it.
Check your CC bills, make sure you're sites are secure, make sure everything's copacetic, and then you can enjoy your holiday shopping.
Firefox Update
So, I posted this on my other blog, and you can read it and do what you like, but I strongly recommend what it says.
"Okay, so I've ranted, I've raved, I've pulled my hair out, and now I've done something about it. There is now a link on the right side that points you to Firefox. Internet Explorer has just made me too mad, too many times. The war must be fought! The fox will win!
Anyway, yes, the link does make me a dollar if you actually install Firefox. No, that's not the reason I put it there. You can just as easily go to http://www.getfirefox.com/and get it there. I don't care, either way... Just please, use a real browser. According to my stats about 1/2 use Firefox and just under 1/2 use IE. The other few percent either use Safari or something unknown."
Podcasting: Viewed Askew
Here's an interesting article on the history and future of Podcasting. I think, though, that there are definitely some things in here I don't agree with.. From what I know, and that's only a little, Al Gore invented the Internet. It's true. He did.
So, was Podcasting invented a year and a half ago? I don't think so. I think the term was coined a year and a half ago. There have been typical radio shows on the internet, and just because you didn't listen to them on your iPod, hence podcasting, does not mean they weren't just that. Amateur radio, for that matter, has been on the internet for a long time. Sound bytes -- again, same thing. So why, then, does Al Gore get all the glory of the Internet? That's a pretty good question.
Of the 20,000 shows, or so, I would have to say more than half of them are because of Dawn and Drew. Does that mean they invented Podcasting? I don't think so. They heard of it from someone and thought they'd give it a try. Their pretty darn good at it too, in case you were wondering.
According to Wikipedia, that all-knowing site... Ah heck, I was going to type it out. I'll just paste it, so much easier.
So web radio had been around for a long time. The only thing missing from the invention of "iPod Broadcasting" was the enclosure of media in RSS feeds. Well, enter Dave Winer. The genius. Somehow, Mr. Winer gets screwed everytime he invents something. I've heard his podcast, and it's interesting to hear him talk about the way things have been ripped from his grasp and mutilated as soon as they become popular. Anyway, Winer invents the Enclosure Tag. I huge step.
And then at the first BloggerCon this happens --
As you can see, Curry's name pops up again. And, ladies and gentlemen, if you look to your left, you'll see Gore! Oh wait, that was just a bush. So I bring up Gore and Curry because I think the real innovator of what we now know as Podcasting was not Curry, but Winer. A little help from Kevin Marks and Adam Curry, but mostly Winer. And where is he when a discussion happens about the history of podcasting? No where. He's left out. Adam Curry is given all the credit. The Podfather invented it all.
Now, I don't want to sound like I'm bagging on Curry. There's so many good things about him, as long as you can past the hair. ;) As you can plainly see above, he'd been doing pretty much the same thing with Applescript beforehand. And don't forget about what he's done since then, either. He has never, from what I've heard on Daily Source Code, heard him claim to have invented Podcasting. He isn't trying to take the glory, it's being handed to him because he's the one doing all the legwork. Curry has promoted podcasting in such a way that it's come from a hobby for some to a hobby for many and a job for others. Where will he help to bring it next? Well, with Podshow and the PodSafe Network, you just never know.
Which makes me think... Where has Dave Winer been through all of the last 17 months? He just never gets any attention after the initial launch of his ideas. Maybe that'll be the next step in my wanderings.
So, was Podcasting invented a year and a half ago? I don't think so. I think the term was coined a year and a half ago. There have been typical radio shows on the internet, and just because you didn't listen to them on your iPod, hence podcasting, does not mean they weren't just that. Amateur radio, for that matter, has been on the internet for a long time. Sound bytes -- again, same thing. So why, then, does Al Gore get all the glory of the Internet? That's a pretty good question.
"These are heady days for wannabe radio stars. Only 17 months old, podcasting -- the technology that makes it easy for people to post audio recordings on the Web -- is stirring the creative juices of individuals around the world who are eager to dish up shows on everything from yoga to Nascar. Though it's difficult to track how many podcasts there are, Apple's iTunes alone lists 20,000 shows. And the number is expected to rise."
Of the 20,000 shows, or so, I would have to say more than half of them are because of Dawn and Drew. Does that mean they invented Podcasting? I don't think so. They heard of it from someone and thought they'd give it a try. Their pretty darn good at it too, in case you were wondering.
According to Wikipedia, that all-knowing site... Ah heck, I was going to type it out. I'll just paste it, so much easier.
"By 2003, web radio had existed for a decade, digital audio players had been on the market for several years, blogs and broadcasters frequently published MP3 audio online, and RSS file formats were widely used for summarizing or syndicating Web content."
So web radio had been around for a long time. The only thing missing from the invention of "iPod Broadcasting" was the enclosure of media in RSS feeds. Well, enter Dave Winer. The genius. Somehow, Mr. Winer gets screwed everytime he invents something. I've heard his podcast, and it's interesting to hear him talk about the way things have been ripped from his grasp and mutilated as soon as they become popular. Anyway, Winer invents the Enclosure Tag. I huge step.
And then at the first BloggerCon this happens --
"At the first Harvard BloggerCon conference, October 4-October 5, 2003, Kevin Marks demonstrated a script to download RSS enclosures to iTunes and synchronise them onto an iPod[6], something Adam Curry had been doing with Radio Userland and Applescript."
As you can see, Curry's name pops up again. And, ladies and gentlemen, if you look to your left, you'll see Gore! Oh wait, that was just a bush. So I bring up Gore and Curry because I think the real innovator of what we now know as Podcasting was not Curry, but Winer. A little help from Kevin Marks and Adam Curry, but mostly Winer. And where is he when a discussion happens about the history of podcasting? No where. He's left out. Adam Curry is given all the credit. The Podfather invented it all.
Now, I don't want to sound like I'm bagging on Curry. There's so many good things about him, as long as you can past the hair. ;) As you can plainly see above, he'd been doing pretty much the same thing with Applescript beforehand. And don't forget about what he's done since then, either. He has never, from what I've heard on Daily Source Code, heard him claim to have invented Podcasting. He isn't trying to take the glory, it's being handed to him because he's the one doing all the legwork. Curry has promoted podcasting in such a way that it's come from a hobby for some to a hobby for many and a job for others. Where will he help to bring it next? Well, with Podshow and the PodSafe Network, you just never know.
Which makes me think... Where has Dave Winer been through all of the last 17 months? He just never gets any attention after the initial launch of his ideas. Maybe that'll be the next step in my wanderings.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
A Mac Mini in Every Room?
Peter Burrows seems to think so. And, if I can say it one more time. A lot of us hope so. The digital age is stronger than ever, pushing forward through the nineties with vigor. Now comes the time for us to start integrating all of the technologies into our everyday lives. I know, we're lazy enough already, but who cares!
There is one thing throughout this article that intrigues me more than the rest. The Apple media entertainment centre.
A multi-purpose machine that's hooked up to my TV and does everything? It's almost too good to be true. Sure, it's nice having a DVD Player that plays DVDs, SVCDs, VCDs, DivX, XViD, and MP3-DVDs, but I need more! To be able to hook up my iPod to my TV and blast the tunes that way would be excellent. It would be even better if I had a video iPod, but that's yet to come (no, Karen doesn't know that...).
The innovations of the near future hold a lot of promise, and a lot of excitement.
There is one thing throughout this article that intrigues me more than the rest. The Apple media entertainment centre.
"If ThinkSecret is right, we'll get a better view of Apple's plans come Macworld. They're reporting that Apple will announce a Mac mini designed to be a digital hub, and possibly a PVR to boot. Equipped with "Front Row" and an iPod dock, it certainly sounds promising to this potential customer."
A multi-purpose machine that's hooked up to my TV and does everything? It's almost too good to be true. Sure, it's nice having a DVD Player that plays DVDs, SVCDs, VCDs, DivX, XViD, and MP3-DVDs, but I need more! To be able to hook up my iPod to my TV and blast the tunes that way would be excellent. It would be even better if I had a video iPod, but that's yet to come (no, Karen doesn't know that...).
The innovations of the near future hold a lot of promise, and a lot of excitement.
The Simple Life
Because you just can't have enough of the Easy Sisters, they're going to make a comeback. Oh, I can go on with my day! I'll now rest easy tonight. Why, oh why?
Don't continue reading. There is no more. This is about the stupidest thing I've read in a long time and I wish they'd stick to what they're good at... Home made Porn and being famous for being famous.
"Feuding ex-friends Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie will take "The Simple Life" to E! Entertainment Television in a new format that allows them to have nothing to do with each other."
Don't continue reading. There is no more. This is about the stupidest thing I've read in a long time and I wish they'd stick to what they're good at... Home made Porn and being famous for being famous.
The Drunkald
What will he do next? The Donald, which is by far the stupidest name ever, has decided that forcing himself on drunks is a good idea. Oh, I mean, he's now making vodka for drunks. This article, at the Defamer, takes a funny look at Trump's latest offering. I suppose it's inevitable -- casinos and booze go nicely together. Next up? Maybe hookers. I hear casinos and hookers go well together, too. Check out the poster that the Defamer thought just might kick off Donald's marketing campaign.
Overhaul for Firefox web browser
I've written a little on my IE frustrations here, and on my other blogs. Well, now it looks like the next generation of Firefox is about to hit the streets.
I don't know why I must vent about Internet Explorer so much, but I must. Last night I was designing a blog template and everything was working fine, but just before I finished I thought I should open it up in IE and see what it looked like. Well, it looked like crap. None of the images were where I put them. Some of the images were just plain old missing. Sidebar in the wrong spot. Main column not what I had specified... Grrrr!
Was it that I had written some bad HTML and CSS? I don't think so. I think it was that IE just couldn't interpret what I had written properly. Anyway, back to the point.
Well, it's the 29th and Firefox hasn't automagically told me that a new version is available, so I guess it's not ready. That's all right though, since version 1.0.7 is working just fine for me.
After a huge overhaul, and the fact that so many extensions have been written by avid fans of Firefox, I'd say it's about time everyone switched over. I've put a link to Firefox on my blogs, and if you aren't using it yet (or you're using Safari, which I hear is just as good), then go ahead and grab it and be free from the bottomless pit of problems that is IE.
I don't know why I must vent about Internet Explorer so much, but I must. Last night I was designing a blog template and everything was working fine, but just before I finished I thought I should open it up in IE and see what it looked like. Well, it looked like crap. None of the images were where I put them. Some of the images were just plain old missing. Sidebar in the wrong spot. Main column not what I had specified... Grrrr!
Was it that I had written some bad HTML and CSS? I don't think so. I think it was that IE just couldn't interpret what I had written properly. Anyway, back to the point.
"Firefox 1.5 is due to be available for download on 29 November, marking the end of a thriving year for the browser.
Analysts say Firefox has grabbed a 10% share of the browser market and it claims to have a core of 40-50 million dedicated users."
Well, it's the 29th and Firefox hasn't automagically told me that a new version is available, so I guess it's not ready. That's all right though, since version 1.0.7 is working just fine for me.
After a huge overhaul, and the fact that so many extensions have been written by avid fans of Firefox, I'd say it's about time everyone switched over. I've put a link to Firefox on my blogs, and if you aren't using it yet (or you're using Safari, which I hear is just as good), then go ahead and grab it and be free from the bottomless pit of problems that is IE.
Paul Sr.
Is it wrong to admit that I love watching "American Chopper"? The premise of the show isn't that exciting -- a few guys building bikes while ripping each others throats out. Okay, after thinking about that, it is exciting. It's an awesome show! What male wouldn't like something like that? Anway, I'm reading through this article on Paul Sr., and a few things struck me as funny.
I actually had to stop reading this when I read the following --
That was some funny stuff. You might not get it if you have never watched the show, so if you have the chance, it's on Discovery (here in Canada at least). Check it out.
I have to give credit to Vannesa Juarez. She actually asked some really good questions in this interview. She could have asked about Paul Sr.'s relationship with Paulie and Mikey, but she didn't. I think most interviewers would have, but if they had ever seen the show they would know that their whole relationship is documented right there on the screen. So props to Vanessa for the skillz.
"For a guy who loves building motorcycles, collecting muscle cars and has a walrus mustache streaming across his face, you wouldn't think Paul Teutul Sr.'s favorite beverage would be club soda. But then again his favorite smell is glue."Is it the best idea to mention that glue is your favourite smell? If sniffing glue was my pasttime, I probably wouldn't want to admit that in a nationally read magazine (website).
I actually had to stop reading this when I read the following --
Vanessa Juarez -- Is there anything you would like to see in your Christmas stocking—or in your driveway?
Paul Sr. -- You know, you're talking to the guy who's got it all. I'm a real hard guy to buy for. You know, what people buy me is socks. And that's because I don't wear underwear [laughs]. Mikey [his son] got me like 24 dozen pairs of socks last year.
Vannesa Juarez -- Why's that? Do your toes poke through that easily?
Paul Sr. -- Nah, because he's an idiot.
That was some funny stuff. You might not get it if you have never watched the show, so if you have the chance, it's on Discovery (here in Canada at least). Check it out.
I have to give credit to Vannesa Juarez. She actually asked some really good questions in this interview. She could have asked about Paul Sr.'s relationship with Paulie and Mikey, but she didn't. I think most interviewers would have, but if they had ever seen the show they would know that their whole relationship is documented right there on the screen. So props to Vanessa for the skillz.
Monday, November 28, 2005
Martin Defeated
Prime Minister Paul Martin was defeated in a non-confidence vote. I'm watching it live on TV (which is extremely boring, by the way), and I have to say that the Liberals are positively upbeat about the whole situation. Maybe they should take a look around and see that they're being kicked out of power.
So will the people vote the Liberals back into power? An early election in the New Year could bring just that. I have a feeling that those Easterners won't let that happen though. But, what does it mean if the Liberals are left out on the curb? Will things really be all that different for you, me, and the dog in the neighbour's back yard? I really doubt it. I suppose we'll just wait and see.
So will the people vote the Liberals back into power? An early election in the New Year could bring just that. I have a feeling that those Easterners won't let that happen though. But, what does it mean if the Liberals are left out on the curb? Will things really be all that different for you, me, and the dog in the neighbour's back yard? I really doubt it. I suppose we'll just wait and see.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Do the Revolution?
That's a misleading title. Is a 360 not one full revolution? Steven Levy writes in his article at Newsweek about the experience of the 360 and the joys of worldwide communication that it brings. Okay, so that's not really the only thing he says, but it's one of the things I took from the article. He does, however, start the article with a great description of racing through New York at 100MPH. Wouldn't that be fun?
So what about this global network the XBox will bring? Well, the point he so casually make about a stalker interrupting him to play a network game in Project Gotham Racing 3 is what bothers me.
Is it okay to not know you're online with your XBox? And random people are finding you and annoying you in the middle of your game? I'm sure that there's a way to turn off Live when you're playing, and I definitely don't blame Mr. Levy for not knowing he was connected and being bothered at the moment as I hear that the "Blades" are annoying to deal with and impossible to find anything in. So where does that leave the average player such as myself? Being bothered by people who want to challenge me, that's where.
I suppose after the first time I would turn off the option, but it's annoying to know that unless you're aware of every feature the new XBox has, things like this may happen. I know a lot of guys (yes, and gals) who would never bother reading a Getting Started flyer, never mind the user manual. I'm one of the odd ones that actually reads all that stuff before I digg (sic) in. I want to know what I've gotten myself into.
Of course, it's easy to be bitchy about a feature which you haven't experienced first hand, and while I'm racing through the streets of New York at 100MPH+ and having the time of my life, I'm sure a little notice popping up to announce a challenge isn't going to kill me. I'm probably bitter because I don't have one yet and probably won't in the foreseeable future because of the following reason:
So what about this global network the XBox will bring? Well, the point he so casually make about a stalker interrupting him to play a network game in Project Gotham Racing 3 is what bothers me.
"But getting that message to chat from Westerby—the nom de joystick of a friend across the continent—illustrated Xbox 360's other big advance: being online is built directly into the experience."
Is it okay to not know you're online with your XBox? And random people are finding you and annoying you in the middle of your game? I'm sure that there's a way to turn off Live when you're playing, and I definitely don't blame Mr. Levy for not knowing he was connected and being bothered at the moment as I hear that the "Blades" are annoying to deal with and impossible to find anything in. So where does that leave the average player such as myself? Being bothered by people who want to challenge me, that's where.
I suppose after the first time I would turn off the option, but it's annoying to know that unless you're aware of every feature the new XBox has, things like this may happen. I know a lot of guys (yes, and gals) who would never bother reading a Getting Started flyer, never mind the user manual. I'm one of the odd ones that actually reads all that stuff before I digg (sic) in. I want to know what I've gotten myself into.
Of course, it's easy to be bitchy about a feature which you haven't experienced first hand, and while I'm racing through the streets of New York at 100MPH+ and having the time of my life, I'm sure a little notice popping up to announce a challenge isn't going to kill me. I'm probably bitter because I don't have one yet and probably won't in the foreseeable future because of the following reason:
"Making a commitment to Xbox 360 is expensive: $400 for the "premium" model, which is really the only logical one to buy. (The $300 version has no hard disk, a component fairly essential to the system.) That only begins the spending. Before most people leave the store, they should probably get a second wireless controller ($50) and, if they have a Wi-Fi household, a wireless Internet connector ($100). And, of course, games, for $50 to $60 each. (The premium Xbox 360 plays many but not all legacy Xbox titles.)"
Weird Awakening
I was in bed last night, quietly listening to a couple of podcasts at 2 in the morning, when suddenly I was jolted upright. No, Karen's snoring wasn't so loud that it scared me over the sound coming out of the iPod. No, Corby from the Twisted Pickle gave Pointlessdribbles a shout-out. It was a bit weird hearing a 'celebrity' (he is in my mind, so shut up) talk about some blog you write in, about nothing, for nothing.
I write in this blog about the things that interest me because it's fulfilling in some sort of weird way. I've always liked reading, writing, and all that, so it's a nice release of that creative energy pent up inside me. It's been a hodge-podge of crap lately, and I fully acknowledge that, and will be working on it shortly. I promise. But as of right now it is what it is.
So Corby comes by, then he comes back and comments on my post about him visiting, and then talks about this wee site on his show. That's pretty cool.
So go check him out. http://www.thetwistedpickle.com or subscribe to his feed. If you subscribe with something like iTunes or FeedDemon the MP3s will be downloaded automatically for you. GO NOW!
I write in this blog about the things that interest me because it's fulfilling in some sort of weird way. I've always liked reading, writing, and all that, so it's a nice release of that creative energy pent up inside me. It's been a hodge-podge of crap lately, and I fully acknowledge that, and will be working on it shortly. I promise. But as of right now it is what it is.
So Corby comes by, then he comes back and comments on my post about him visiting, and then talks about this wee site on his show. That's pretty cool.
So go check him out. http://www.thetwistedpickle.com or subscribe to his feed. If you subscribe with something like iTunes or FeedDemon the MP3s will be downloaded automatically for you. GO NOW!
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