I've done it!

I've gone ahead and done it. I wanted some input, but it just made sense to me to add the "Read More" hack. As you can see it actually works quite nicely. I don't think I'll go back and edit any of the posts so that they have the Read More functionality, but all past posts will have "Read More" at the bottom of them, even if the whole article is posted. Maybe I'll just go back and edit November, or however many are listed on this first page.

Hidden, Read More, or Normal?

I'm wondering about the style of posts that are on this page. As you might have noticed, I like to post about things in the news that interest me. It's mostly Tech, because I'm a tech-head, but some other things too. Anway, what I would like to know is what people think of the Blogger hacks that I have tried in the past. The first is the "[+/-] show/hide this post" hack which is useful, but I believe it really screws up the UI when viewed in Internet Explorer. The second is the "Read More" hack, which is the one I really like. It allows for the title of the post to be displayed and a bit of what's inside, and then if you find it interesting enough you can read on.

Another thing I wanted to implement was the use of tags and categories. It turns out, there's really not a clean, easy way to do this. It a bit of a bummer, seeing as this blog would be much easier to navigate if you were able to click on the topic that interests you and leave everything else in the dust.

Well, there is one way that uses Technorati and del.icio.us, but each post you do is a pain as you have to mess with these tags. Also, the problem with it is that when you do want to sort the posts, you click on the category and it brings you to Technorati, which, I have to say, is about the ugliest, most annoying webpage I've viewed in a long time. Let's just hope that the Blogger people are working on tags and categories.

Dylan's poetry auctioned for $106,079AUS

Now, I know Bob Dylan's an icon of sorts. Brilliant to some, a genius to others, and even a rock god to those who can actually understand him, but $78,000US? C'mon! To those hippies too high to realize what was going on his music was revolutionary, but his iconic status in today's world? Possibly non-existant? I think so.

"A collection of poems written by legendary rock poet Bob Dylan as a student at the University of Minnesota in 1960..."

So he was even a freshman in college when he wrote these? I'm not up to speed on my 'best of' Bob Dylan trivia, so I can't actually claim to know, but was 1960 the year his work was at its most profound point?

I wrote some poems in my first year of University... Anyone want them? I'm selling them cheap, too! Only $77,999US.

Check out the original article here.

Podcasting: All you need is a script, a PC, and a short list of gear

If you've ever wanted to get into Podcasting, I'd say this article is a good start. It shows you the steps to take to get there, what to do once you are there, and what to do when you're done.

businessweek.com article

A total misconception that a few people have said to me before is this --

There's no mystery about why podcasting is hot. The technology allows anyone to produce a radio-style program that an audience can find, download, and listen to anytime. Podcasts aren't just for iPods; they can be heard on any computer or portable audio player.

No, you don't need an iPod. I suppose the name Podcasting is a bit misleading, but it would be even stranger to call it something like 'personal portable audio amateur broadcasting', or 'PePo Au AmBer' for short. That just doesn't flow as nicely, does it?

So, what do you need to get started? Well, I like the idea of 'kits' that you can buy to get started, but I think you should try it out before you go and spend $150US on something you might not like very much. Do you have a headset mic? Write down some ideas on paper, your script, and then record yourself for 15 - 60 minutes. Was it easy? Probably not, so you might want to think about getting a partner and making your podcast a duo.

I find that of the Podcasts that I listen to, about 20, only 2 of them are a one person show. Those two would be Corby from The Twisted Pickle, and Tim Hensen from Distorted View. Each manages to pull off a one man show for completely different reasons. Tim's Distorted News (he was calling it News of the Weird until the copyright holder to that came after him) would work with two people, but Tim is such a caricature that he doesn't need anyone else. Corby, on the other hand, is equally as funny to those of us with a wife and kids, that his personal stories just wouldn't go over well if it came from more than just himself. So, after that long-winded thought, go ahead and decide if you're a solo artist, or part of a duet (or more).

That Podcasting topic was the only one not really covered in the Businessweek article. Read along as you set yourself up, get started, and then send me the RSS feed so that I can have a listen. I'm always looking for some good Podcasts to listen to.

Women Get All the Breaks!

You know, why is it that women get all the breaks?

"Breastfeeding may cut a mother's risk of type 2 diabetes, research suggests. "

A team from Harvard Medical School found one year of breastfeeding was associated with a 15% drop in a woman's risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

_{Yes, this is sarcasm taken to a new low.}