Powazek: Just a Thought: Ajax, Ajax Everywhere
First the pendulum swings from rich client (everything on the client) to thin client (everyting on the server). Now we are swinging a back to the rich client. At work I coined the term "medium client" - hitting the server when you need to.
I have talked about Ajax before, and I like the idea since it gives you the ability to ONLY get the information you need based upon user action. Smaller packets across the net, smaller parts of the screen to update, in theory quicker pages for the user. I'm all about quicker pages, particularly if I am using them.
However I think this provides a richer experience for the user. I tis not simple from the creation aspect, but there is so much that can be done by just sending a little bit more info down to the cleint.
Of course the downside is overall performance can degrade since the server is probably handling a lot more traffic. Essentially what each request lacks in volume is made up for in number of requests. Implimentation of this kind of page requires make sure the server(s) can cope with the increased volume.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
O'Reilly Radar > Top Ten Reasons Episode IV is Better Than Episode III
O'Reilly Radar > Top Ten Reasons Episode IV is Better Than Episode III
I have yet to see Episode III, but I still love the list.
I have yet to see Episode III, but I still love the list.
Folkstreams � The Best of American Folklore Films
Folkstreams � The Best of American Folklore Films
In case you are not already on info overload between Netflix, Blockbuster, and all the various streaming/downloadable sources here is another. They need to get a working search function and an RSS feed to really make this useful. I have not found anything yet to download/stream, but I have not spent a lot of time on the site.
In case you are not already on info overload between Netflix, Blockbuster, and all the various streaming/downloadable sources here is another. They need to get a working search function and an RSS feed to really make this useful. I have not found anything yet to download/stream, but I have not spent a lot of time on the site.
TIME.com: It's a Wiki, Wiki World -- Jun. 06, 2005
TIME.com: It's a Wiki, Wiki World -- Jun. 06, 2005
Wikis are cool, and can be a great collaborative tool, but it is important to remember than anyone can post something. Thanks to Dave for the article.
Wikis are cool, and can be a great collaborative tool, but it is important to remember than anyone can post something. Thanks to Dave for the article.
Bush Calls Human Rights Report 'Absurd' - Yahoo! News
Bush Calls Human Rights Report 'Absurd' - Yahoo! News
I did not read the whole thing, but given what went on in Iraq I would not discount what is being said about Guantanamo Bay.
I did not read the whole thing, but given what went on in Iraq I would not discount what is being said about Guantanamo Bay.
Judge Gives Offenders Option of Church - Yahoo! News
Judge Gives Offenders Option of Church - Yahoo! News
Aside from the issues raised by the American Civil Liberties Union, I would be curious if there is a choice given as to what church/religion is used for this alternative sentencing. If I had to go to a Christian church then this is CLEARLY a consititutional issue.
Aside from the issues raised by the American Civil Liberties Union, I would be curious if there is a choice given as to what church/religion is used for this alternative sentencing. If I had to go to a Christian church then this is CLEARLY a consititutional issue.
Court Overturns Arthur Andersen Conviction - Yahoo! News
Court Overturns Arthur Andersen Conviction - Yahoo! News
Sounds like Arthur Anderson is getting off on a technicality. I hope they retry the case.
Sounds like Arthur Anderson is getting off on a technicality. I hope they retry the case.
'Deep Throat' Reportedly Comes Forward - Yahoo! News
'Deep Throat' Reportedly Comes Forward - Yahoo! News
Given the guy is 91 I am skeptical until the documents are released that will confirm this identity, which will not happen until after his death.
Given the guy is 91 I am skeptical until the documents are released that will confirm this identity, which will not happen until after his death.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Yahoo Testing E-Mail Service for Photos - Yahoo! News
Yahoo Testing E-Mail Service for Photos - Yahoo! News
Sounds interesting, although I was not able to play around with it since I use Firefox. Not sure if this is more useful than photo stream software like Flickr, although it definately sounds cheaper.
Sounds interesting, although I was not able to play around with it since I use Firefox. Not sure if this is more useful than photo stream software like Flickr, although it definately sounds cheaper.
O'Reilly Radar > Yahoo! Mindset
O'Reilly Radar > Yahoo! Mindset
This is a neat idea, one I am surprised Google has not already tried. I did a neat search and it reordered the search pretty quick. Looks like it was probably done with some Javascript. Yahoo is giving people reason to go back to them, that or they are overriding my Microsoft "borg" implant ;).
This is a neat idea, one I am surprised Google has not already tried. I did a neat search and it reordered the search pretty quick. Looks like it was probably done with some Javascript. Yahoo is giving people reason to go back to them, that or they are overriding my Microsoft "borg" implant ;).
O'Reilly Radar > US Army to Deploy RFID "Listening Rocks"
O'Reilly Radar > US Army to Deploy RFID "Listening Rocks"
Hmmm... could this be combined with some other technology to read RFID credit cards that people are trying out in Atlanta? RFID & secure cash payments are a bad idea in my book, and this does not make me feel any better about it.
Hmmm... could this be combined with some other technology to read RFID credit cards that people are trying out in Atlanta? RFID & secure cash payments are a bad idea in my book, and this does not make me feel any better about it.
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Long weekend?
Well I went into work today for about 5.5 hours. It was nice and quiet and allowed me to get some real work done. I had some work that I needed to really concentrate on and this allowed me to get most of it done. That is until I ran into some walls with my tools that I need to talk with some people with on Tuesday. At least I feel in a lot better shape about my projects than I did on Friday.
Normally I would not even consider going in on a long weekend. It was supposed to be raining on and off all day, and it turned ot to be all off, clear and perfect walking weather. I did get out and do a walk, but not as far as I would like.
I went over to my brother's last night and we grilled some animal flesh. Google weather is giving thunderstorms tomorrow so it is a good thing we did the cookout thing yesterday.
Speaking of Google
I went out and played a little with the Google portal. Ihave to say I am completely unimpressed. The customization is limited to a few items (something like 12 - 16 feeds) and there is no way to customize the look and feel of the page there there is in Yahoo. Not that Yahoo is not without its problems, but Yahoo still offers a better experience than Google on this one. The Google page is cleaner, but I have not updated my syle in some time so there maybe a cleaner sytle available.
I have also been doing some comparisons betwen Google Map directions and Mapquest. Over all I like Googles interface when I am trying to get directions from one location to a number of places, but I perfer Mapquests format for printed directions. Mapquest will also sync diretions to yourPalm (and no doubt Pocket PC) and I am not sure if Google will do that yet. There is also some significant time difference between the two. Mapquest gave me a drive time of 4.5-5 hours, Google 6+. However on a different set of directions Google gave me 16 minutes, Mapquest 22. Both seem to be about as accurate.
Normally I would not even consider going in on a long weekend. It was supposed to be raining on and off all day, and it turned ot to be all off, clear and perfect walking weather. I did get out and do a walk, but not as far as I would like.
I went over to my brother's last night and we grilled some animal flesh. Google weather is giving thunderstorms tomorrow so it is a good thing we did the cookout thing yesterday.
Speaking of Google
I went out and played a little with the Google portal. Ihave to say I am completely unimpressed. The customization is limited to a few items (something like 12 - 16 feeds) and there is no way to customize the look and feel of the page there there is in Yahoo. Not that Yahoo is not without its problems, but Yahoo still offers a better experience than Google on this one. The Google page is cleaner, but I have not updated my syle in some time so there maybe a cleaner sytle available.
I have also been doing some comparisons betwen Google Map directions and Mapquest. Over all I like Googles interface when I am trying to get directions from one location to a number of places, but I perfer Mapquests format for printed directions. Mapquest will also sync diretions to yourPalm (and no doubt Pocket PC) and I am not sure if Google will do that yet. There is also some significant time difference between the two. Mapquest gave me a drive time of 4.5-5 hours, Google 6+. However on a different set of directions Google gave me 16 minutes, Mapquest 22. Both seem to be about as accurate.
TiddlyWiki - a reusable non-linear personal web notebook
TiddlyWiki - a reusable non-linear personal web notebook
Wikis are a great thing, and this is one that requires NO server side logic. This might be a great way to store notes on a project and be able to drag the whole thing around, or maybe store it in a version control system. One more thing for me to play around with...
Wikis are a great thing, and this is one that requires NO server side logic. This might be a great way to store notes on a project and be able to drag the whole thing around, or maybe store it in a version control system. One more thing for me to play around with...
Boing Boing: Pro file-sharing seal for CDs
Boing Boing: Pro file-sharing seal for CDs
Neat idea for those who are trying to get their music out there and heard by people. What we really need is a creative common seal to let people know that some rights are reserved and to check the liner of the CD.
Of course with Yahoo offering $5/month streaming/downloaded music is the CD's days numbered?
Neat idea for those who are trying to get their music out there and heard by people. What we really need is a creative common seal to let people know that some rights are reserved and to check the liner of the CD.
Of course with Yahoo offering $5/month streaming/downloaded music is the CD's days numbered?
Friday, May 27, 2005
Virgin Mobile
Forgot to put this in my last post. Does any of my readers reader have any experience with Virgin Mobile. I was at a Radio Shack earlier this week and since I had nothing better to do (I was waiting on my car) I actually talked to the sales guy for a bit about my cell plan.
Now as I have mentioned before I am not much of a cell phone guy. I have a $10/month for life plan I got 10 or so years ago. No minutes and few bells & whistles, but it serves its purpose of allowing me to call someone if I need some help.
Now the Virgin Mobile plan is $20 every 3 months. Right now with tax, title, dealer prep, fondling & molesting I pay about $140 per year, assuming I do not use the phone at all. This would be $120 and, according to their advertising, all the money stays on the phone as long as you have the account open. Plus the cost per minute is lower than my Verizon plan.
The only downside I can see is Virgin Mobile uses Sprint for their carrier in the US. Sprint is not bad, but apparently if I am out of Sprints service area I have no phone service. This seems a bit unclear since both the Radio Shack salesman & the Virgin Mobile site says "No Roaming fees", but then again if I have no service outside of Sprint's area then they are teling the truth when they say "No Roaming fees" - if you can't roam there is no roaming fee. However given that I want to do a trip across some of the northern prairie states next year at best coverage is going to be very sporadic.
So, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Virign Mobile and possible roaming situations. Frankly I don't mind paying the roaming when I need my phone. I am very happy with Verizon, but damn $60/year difference is quite a bit, and it essentially has roll over. The downside is that if this ever goes belly up I would be looking at a 400+% increase in my cell bill. If I was not so attached to my landline I might consider killing it and just going with a cell phone. I am very attached to the number since that is the same number I have had all my life. I don't think I can transfer a landline to a cell line though.
Now as I have mentioned before I am not much of a cell phone guy. I have a $10/month for life plan I got 10 or so years ago. No minutes and few bells & whistles, but it serves its purpose of allowing me to call someone if I need some help.
Now the Virgin Mobile plan is $20 every 3 months. Right now with tax, title, dealer prep, fondling & molesting I pay about $140 per year, assuming I do not use the phone at all. This would be $120 and, according to their advertising, all the money stays on the phone as long as you have the account open. Plus the cost per minute is lower than my Verizon plan.
The only downside I can see is Virgin Mobile uses Sprint for their carrier in the US. Sprint is not bad, but apparently if I am out of Sprints service area I have no phone service. This seems a bit unclear since both the Radio Shack salesman & the Virgin Mobile site says "No Roaming fees", but then again if I have no service outside of Sprint's area then they are teling the truth when they say "No Roaming fees" - if you can't roam there is no roaming fee. However given that I want to do a trip across some of the northern prairie states next year at best coverage is going to be very sporadic.
So, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Virign Mobile and possible roaming situations. Frankly I don't mind paying the roaming when I need my phone. I am very happy with Verizon, but damn $60/year difference is quite a bit, and it essentially has roll over. The downside is that if this ever goes belly up I would be looking at a 400+% increase in my cell bill. If I was not so attached to my landline I might consider killing it and just going with a cell phone. I am very attached to the number since that is the same number I have had all my life. I don't think I can transfer a landline to a cell line though.
Friday Fun
Well, much to my chagrin my weekend is starting out on a bad note. Between starting the day off with some gastral-intestinal distress, working late when I intended to leave early, and leaving my car in the shop overnight (hopefully they will find the problem this time) it is not the start of a stellar weekend. Oh yea, did I mention is is probably going to rain all weekend I will probably end up working? Kill me now.
I did watch National Treasure tonight. Not a bad film, nice piece of fluff to kick off the weekend. I also just downloaded the Sarah McLachen original over at iTunes that was on their music store this week. I figure it is worth a listen. I got to finish mysnack food crack Funyuns. I should really by them by the much smaller bag least I go into a carb coma.
I did watch National Treasure tonight. Not a bad film, nice piece of fluff to kick off the weekend. I also just downloaded the Sarah McLachen original over at iTunes that was on their music store this week. I figure it is worth a listen. I got to finish my
Woman Sues Yahoo Over Nude Photos - Yahoo! News
Woman Sues Yahoo Over Nude Photos - Yahoo! News
I would expect to see more of these kinds of things in the future. Looks like this lady at least tried to handle things before going to court at least.
I would expect to see more of these kinds of things in the future. Looks like this lady at least tried to handle things before going to court at least.
Five Cases of Quran 'Mishandling' Found - Yahoo! News
Five Cases of Quran 'Mishandling' Found - Yahoo! News
I guess the key phrase here is "credible evidence." I'm not saying Newsweek (or whatever publication it was) was right in reporting something based upon 1 source, but it looks like there is some nugget of truth buried there.
I guess the key phrase here is "credible evidence." I'm not saying Newsweek (or whatever publication it was) was right in reporting something based upon 1 source, but it looks like there is some nugget of truth buried there.
Yahoo Mail goes to 1 GB for all users
I logged into my Yahoo mail account and found that it is now 1 gig just like Google. *sniff, sniff* I smell a battle brewing...
Ga. Credit-Card Holders 'Blink' Cards - Yahoo! News
Ga. Credit-Card Holders 'Blink' Cards - Yahoo! News
Hmmmm.... Just what I - RFID broadcasting my credit card info everywhere. I give crackers 2 weeks to crack the code and start ripping people off by just sitting in the mall and picking up credit card info from passerbys. Oye!
Via GeekNewsCentral
Hmmmm.... Just what I - RFID broadcasting my credit card info everywhere. I give crackers 2 weeks to crack the code and start ripping people off by just sitting in the mall and picking up credit card info from passerbys. Oye!
Via GeekNewsCentral
Hacking NetFlix : Yahoo! Recommends Movies
Hacking NetFlix : Yahoo! Recommends Movies
Hmmmm... between this and an earlier article from Geek News Central about some of what Yahoo is doing it looks like Yahoo really wants to push the portal model.
Yahoo has had the portal idea for awhile, with limited customization capability. I have mentioned before that with RSS taking off the ability to do this with useful information for ME is really just becoming available. With DSL/cable modem prices low (and possibly dropping) Yahoo's patience is finally paying off. I have yet to check out Google's offering for portals.
My only complaint about portals, at least on the early RSS feeds from Yahoo, is they do not always update correctly for random feeds. Maybe they fixed the problem with My Yahoo. If you cannot depend upon the portal providing the latest information from ALL sources then it is not useful.
Hmmmm... between this and an earlier article from Geek News Central about some of what Yahoo is doing it looks like Yahoo really wants to push the portal model.
Yahoo has had the portal idea for awhile, with limited customization capability. I have mentioned before that with RSS taking off the ability to do this with useful information for ME is really just becoming available. With DSL/cable modem prices low (and possibly dropping) Yahoo's patience is finally paying off. I have yet to check out Google's offering for portals.
My only complaint about portals, at least on the early RSS feeds from Yahoo, is they do not always update correctly for random feeds. Maybe they fixed the problem with My Yahoo. If you cannot depend upon the portal providing the latest information from ALL sources then it is not useful.
The Nation | Subject To Debate | Practice What You Preach | Katha Pollitt
The Nation | Subject To Debate | Practice What You Preach | Katha Pollitt
I like the idea. I wonder how many people would really support abstinence only sex ed if they had to support their grandchildren from underage children until the grandchildren were 18 and out of highschool (I think out of college is silly - that is more reponsibility than is required for their own children).
Thanks Mac for pointing me to the article.
I like the idea. I wonder how many people would really support abstinence only sex ed if they had to support their grandchildren from underage children until the grandchildren were 18 and out of highschool (I think out of college is silly - that is more reponsibility than is required for their own children).
Thanks Mac for pointing me to the article.
Top actresses exit new series - Yahoo! News
Top actresses exit new series - Yahoo! News
Interesting. Now I have heard that Shannen Doherty can be tough to work with, but I am wondering if this is a matter of money for all involved, or maybe people are looking more for eye candy instead of ladies who can actually act.
Interesting. Now I have heard that Shannen Doherty can be tough to work with, but I am wondering if this is a matter of money for all involved, or maybe people are looking more for eye candy instead of ladies who can actually act.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
43 Folders: Roger von Oech's “Creative Think” home page
43 Folders: Roger von Oech's “Creative Think” home page
A cool site if you ever feel stuck and need a "Whac on the side of the Head."
A cool site if you ever feel stuck and need a "Whac on the side of the Head."
Feds Move to Stop Viagra for Sex Offenders - Yahoo! News
Feds Move to Stop Viagra for Sex Offenders - Yahoo! News
Ok, I can see eliminating this drug for everyone since it is more of a quality of life drug, vs. something to keep you alive, but to do this only for convicted sex offenders is silly and probably illegal.
Ok, I can see eliminating this drug for everyone since it is more of a quality of life drug, vs. something to keep you alive, but to do this only for convicted sex offenders is silly and probably illegal.
Geek News Central Revealing Links & Useful Technical Information
Geek News Central Revealing Links & Useful Technical Information
BitTorrent has been a boon I think for people trying to distribute large files. Like all person to person (P2P) file sharing there are many legitimate uses, podcasting being just one. I guess ISPs, or more specifically hosting serves (which many times are the same company) just want toextort increase their revenue.
BitTorrent has been a boon I think for people trying to distribute large files. Like all person to person (P2P) file sharing there are many legitimate uses, podcasting being just one. I guess ISPs, or more specifically hosting serves (which many times are the same company) just want to
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Hackers Holding Computer Files 'Hostage' - Yahoo! News
Hackers Holding Computer Files 'Hostage' - Yahoo! News
Yet again the term 'hacker' is misused. What they mean is that 'Crackers Holding Computer Files 'Hostage'.
Yet again the term 'hacker' is misused. What they mean is that 'Crackers Holding Computer Files 'Hostage'.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Charmed's Future
WARNING!! SEASON FINALE SPOILER ALERT! DON'T LOOK MARTHA!
I have watched Charmed pretty much from the get go. In part because there are some good looking women, and in part because I alwasy support shows like these (concerning the supernatural, not with hot women) as long as I can stand to watch them.
I had heard they were working on both a season & series finale because they felt the fans deserved a good finale, and I think they did an OK job. Frankly had that been a series finale it would have been better than Star Trek: Enterprise's and many that I have seen in the last 10 or so years.
The problem becomes what are they going to do next year? They have now vanquished major evil 3 different times. It was not mentioned if Phoebe & Piper got their powers back. The world beleives them to be dead, so if they stay in the real world they will have to remain in disguise all the time unless the depatment of Homeland Security finds out they are still alive. Demons will, eventually find out they are alive, of course. The elders know they are alive, or at least that Paige is still alive since she has been functioning as a white lighter. Also if they stay in the world they will not be able to be aroundthe kids until they are school agewhen they could be "away at bording school". And if they have them hang out all the time at Magic School it will be a boring show. What happens to the book of shadows?
I have watched Charmed pretty much from the get go. In part because there are some good looking women, and in part because I alwasy support shows like these (concerning the supernatural, not with hot women) as long as I can stand to watch them.
I had heard they were working on both a season & series finale because they felt the fans deserved a good finale, and I think they did an OK job. Frankly had that been a series finale it would have been better than Star Trek: Enterprise's and many that I have seen in the last 10 or so years.
The problem becomes what are they going to do next year? They have now vanquished major evil 3 different times. It was not mentioned if Phoebe & Piper got their powers back. The world beleives them to be dead, so if they stay in the real world they will have to remain in disguise all the time unless the depatment of Homeland Security finds out they are still alive. Demons will, eventually find out they are alive, of course. The elders know they are alive, or at least that Paige is still alive since she has been functioning as a white lighter. Also if they stay in the world they will not be able to be aroundthe kids until they are school agewhen they could be "away at bording school". And if they have them hang out all the time at Magic School it will be a boring show. What happens to the book of shadows?
Sunday, May 22, 2005
If its Sunday it is chore day
Since I spent most of yesterday doing other things, today I get to make up for it all by doing a bunch of chores. Always fun, in weird bizzaro world.
Here is a link to the Gund Arena. If you say the name real fast it sounds like something that could have been prevented by the Rubber Bowl.
Rantings about Akron
There is still talk about how we an make Akron a place where the young Gen Xers (and the next generation coming) a place for them to be. Akron does have a lot going against it - weather & lack of jobs. A consultant hired had said her overall research into Gen Xers shows some are willing to move to a place because of other things and then worry about getting a job. One guy, a 23 year old, had mentioned that we have 2 big state universities (Akron & Kent) yet all the graduates move away. Why? No jobs. In his view there is not point in building bars and what not because even if people stay they have no money to spend in them. The mayor for years has been stressing downtown development, ignoring the neighborhoods and many other projects.
For me personally (who, depending upon which person you talk to, am a Gen Xer) most of what they talk about is rubbish. Downtown is important, but Akron has always been about the neighborhoods. I don't drink, smoke, dance, or even like large crowds (and extremely loud music) so most night clubs & bars hold no interest to me. Many jobs, especially things like writing & art, can be done anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. Same is becoming true with music.
The mayor has complained that downtown is still very much like a ghost town after 5 and would like to see more bars/nightclubs and the like. If you want to attact more people downtown you need VARIETY. I am more likely to go to a quiet coffee house (with cup of tea in hand) instead of any nightclub. We have 2 outdoor venues for events but they are pretty useless 4-6 months a year. The art museum is currently closed while they build a new building, although there is a smaller space for working artists in the area, and the vernable Don Drumm Studios is still open. I missed out on a recent events to show what some of the young professional groups are trying to do. It featured some local musicians, live music venues (which are usually bars), and other things to try and rally the troops and show how Akron ain't dead yet.
I think, however, we are closer to what we need than a lot of people realize. We have a lot of small live theaters, art galleries, live music venues, etc. The problem is finding out about them. With one newspaper that not only covers the music locally but from Cleveland it is easy to loose track of the small stuff. I am not sure how much one has to pay to advertise in the Akron Beacon Journal. Cleveland has a free weekly magazine (actually a couple) that are free for the taking. Some Akron venues advertise in them, most do not. But my question is: Why is there not some kind of free space (or at least cheap) on the internet? Why not something like CraigsList? Maybe instead of emails like what The Lime Spider does they need to get RSS feeds? Maybe we all need better content mangement of our email/RSS feeds to weed out the junk, or at least highlight things we might have an interest in. Maybe Ajax is an answer for some of that. Maybe some combination of Ajax & portals. Maybe I'm just getting whiny in my old age.
One other thing that I think would help is if the universities would open up a little more to the surrounding communities. Not just in offering classes, but in making some of their art openings and the like more public. I know at least twice a year the art students put on a show on campus. Student recitals could likewise allow for those on a tight budget to enjoy some live music year round. Many times these things are not advertised outside of campus except by word of mouth. It is easier for a graduate to WANT to stick around if they can continue to participate in campus events after graduation.
The most important thing I hope everyone keeps in mind is variety. You maybe targetting young Gen Xers now, but they will eventually get married, have kids, and just plan get older. You don't see a lot of 50 year olds at night clubs. Nights of dancing are usually replaced by a night with the family after kids come along. Even among the young and single not everyone wants smoke filled live music places playing heavy metal or punk music. We have a lot of great, smaller places. Maybe we just need to make sure people know they are there.
Here is a link to the Gund Arena. If you say the name real fast it sounds like something that could have been prevented by the Rubber Bowl.
Rantings about Akron
There is still talk about how we an make Akron a place where the young Gen Xers (and the next generation coming) a place for them to be. Akron does have a lot going against it - weather & lack of jobs. A consultant hired had said her overall research into Gen Xers shows some are willing to move to a place because of other things and then worry about getting a job. One guy, a 23 year old, had mentioned that we have 2 big state universities (Akron & Kent) yet all the graduates move away. Why? No jobs. In his view there is not point in building bars and what not because even if people stay they have no money to spend in them. The mayor for years has been stressing downtown development, ignoring the neighborhoods and many other projects.
For me personally (who, depending upon which person you talk to, am a Gen Xer) most of what they talk about is rubbish. Downtown is important, but Akron has always been about the neighborhoods. I don't drink, smoke, dance, or even like large crowds (and extremely loud music) so most night clubs & bars hold no interest to me. Many jobs, especially things like writing & art, can be done anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. Same is becoming true with music.
The mayor has complained that downtown is still very much like a ghost town after 5 and would like to see more bars/nightclubs and the like. If you want to attact more people downtown you need VARIETY. I am more likely to go to a quiet coffee house (with cup of tea in hand) instead of any nightclub. We have 2 outdoor venues for events but they are pretty useless 4-6 months a year. The art museum is currently closed while they build a new building, although there is a smaller space for working artists in the area, and the vernable Don Drumm Studios is still open. I missed out on a recent events to show what some of the young professional groups are trying to do. It featured some local musicians, live music venues (which are usually bars), and other things to try and rally the troops and show how Akron ain't dead yet.
I think, however, we are closer to what we need than a lot of people realize. We have a lot of small live theaters, art galleries, live music venues, etc. The problem is finding out about them. With one newspaper that not only covers the music locally but from Cleveland it is easy to loose track of the small stuff. I am not sure how much one has to pay to advertise in the Akron Beacon Journal. Cleveland has a free weekly magazine (actually a couple) that are free for the taking. Some Akron venues advertise in them, most do not. But my question is: Why is there not some kind of free space (or at least cheap) on the internet? Why not something like CraigsList? Maybe instead of emails like what The Lime Spider does they need to get RSS feeds? Maybe we all need better content mangement of our email/RSS feeds to weed out the junk, or at least highlight things we might have an interest in. Maybe Ajax is an answer for some of that. Maybe some combination of Ajax & portals. Maybe I'm just getting whiny in my old age.
One other thing that I think would help is if the universities would open up a little more to the surrounding communities. Not just in offering classes, but in making some of their art openings and the like more public. I know at least twice a year the art students put on a show on campus. Student recitals could likewise allow for those on a tight budget to enjoy some live music year round. Many times these things are not advertised outside of campus except by word of mouth. It is easier for a graduate to WANT to stick around if they can continue to participate in campus events after graduation.
The most important thing I hope everyone keeps in mind is variety. You maybe targetting young Gen Xers now, but they will eventually get married, have kids, and just plan get older. You don't see a lot of 50 year olds at night clubs. Nights of dancing are usually replaced by a night with the family after kids come along. Even among the young and single not everyone wants smoke filled live music places playing heavy metal or punk music. We have a lot of great, smaller places. Maybe we just need to make sure people know they are there.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Friday, May 20, 2005
Freaky Friday
I had something of a weird week, so I left work early today with the plan of getting a walk in. Foolish human that I am I followed Mapquest's suggestion and could not find the start point. Further yours truly forgot to stop at the bank so I had no money for parking, and I was not sure where there was a bank to get some. So instead I came home, cleared out some saved stuff from the aggregator, and finished up my Tremors marathon. I watched them in chronological order, so it was 4,1,2,3. There is rumors of a 5th movie, but I will believe it when I see it. This is not great cinema, but it is fun and mindless.
Tremors 2 did yield a quote that I like: "I feel I was denied critical, need to know information." This is how I am feeling many days anymore. Between work and home I see to have a lot floating through my head. Between my home computer, work computer, Palm, various web sites, and of course old fashioned paper sources things are just over flowing.
The problem is I don't see this situation changing much in my lifetime. The Palm (or similar device) helps to unload some of it and keep the infomration at hand but out of your brain. However it becomes a matter of size. Most handhelds do not have a bunch of memory, and usually cannot hold all that you need. Palm has recently released a device with a 4 gig HD, but lets face it, how much stuff do we have? Even 4 gig for some heavy users will not be enough. My 64 Meg is pretty comfy, but I have a couple of dozen contacts (3 dozen at the outside), minimal calander info and I do not synch any email or RSS feeds. Consolidating all of that, plus maybe some MP3s or photos would rapidly fill up my 64 meg, and the 4 gig will not hold up either.
For me personally I handle this by putting onlyt the crticial information at hand. My contacts, calander, to do (actually Next action list per Getting Things Done), Pocket Quicken, and that is about it. I have a few spreadsheets and a few other programs to track data where I need to do the data entry on the fly away from my computer.
My computer keeps the bulk of my information, and the filing cabinet in the lab keeps all the dead-tree stuff that I need to keep, such as copies of my taxes. I have a few websites that keep some things like Bloglines for my RSS feeds.
To me at least the trick is to follow the Getting Things Done (mentioned earlier) and to keep on top of things and not get behind on maintenance of your data system. If you do get behind you need to get up to date as soon as possible.
Tremors 2 did yield a quote that I like: "I feel I was denied critical, need to know information." This is how I am feeling many days anymore. Between work and home I see to have a lot floating through my head. Between my home computer, work computer, Palm, various web sites, and of course old fashioned paper sources things are just over flowing.
The problem is I don't see this situation changing much in my lifetime. The Palm (or similar device) helps to unload some of it and keep the infomration at hand but out of your brain. However it becomes a matter of size. Most handhelds do not have a bunch of memory, and usually cannot hold all that you need. Palm has recently released a device with a 4 gig HD, but lets face it, how much stuff do we have? Even 4 gig for some heavy users will not be enough. My 64 Meg is pretty comfy, but I have a couple of dozen contacts (3 dozen at the outside), minimal calander info and I do not synch any email or RSS feeds. Consolidating all of that, plus maybe some MP3s or photos would rapidly fill up my 64 meg, and the 4 gig will not hold up either.
For me personally I handle this by putting onlyt the crticial information at hand. My contacts, calander, to do (actually Next action list per Getting Things Done), Pocket Quicken, and that is about it. I have a few spreadsheets and a few other programs to track data where I need to do the data entry on the fly away from my computer.
My computer keeps the bulk of my information, and the filing cabinet in the lab keeps all the dead-tree stuff that I need to keep, such as copies of my taxes. I have a few websites that keep some things like Bloglines for my RSS feeds.
To me at least the trick is to follow the Getting Things Done (mentioned earlier) and to keep on top of things and not get behind on maintenance of your data system. If you do get behind you need to get up to date as soon as possible.
Google Ride Finder
Google Ride Finder
A neat idea, but I am not certain of the practical application of this. I'm sure the companies involved have finer control so they can route the closest vehicle to an incoming call, but for users I am not certain if this is useful. Of course I don't do taxis that often so maybe I'm off base.
A neat idea, but I am not certain of the practical application of this. I'm sure the companies involved have finer control so they can route the closest vehicle to an incoming call, but for users I am not certain if this is useful. Of course I don't do taxis that often so maybe I'm off base.
43 Folders
43 Folders
I came across this blog and it is pretty cool, particularly if you are a fan of Getting Things Done. I do use a lot of the ideas David Allen presents, although I do tend to combine his ideas with Stephen Covey's roles, and based upon some of my reading I am not the only one who does that. I think they are a natural fit since David Allen gets you to, well, get things done but Stephen Covey helps you to maintain a well rounded life and prioritze what needs to be done.
Strictly my opinion - David Allen's approach starts at ground level and lets you work up to the "50,000 foot" level, and Stephen Covey starts at 50,000 foot and works down. David is "get the little stuff under control to free up time to work on the big stuff" and Stephen is "get the big stuff set up and then prioritize the little stuff". Both approaches have their place, and to me (and others) they both work well together. Even with the best prioritization we all still have to deal with all thecrap little stuff in life.
I came across this blog and it is pretty cool, particularly if you are a fan of Getting Things Done. I do use a lot of the ideas David Allen presents, although I do tend to combine his ideas with Stephen Covey's roles, and based upon some of my reading I am not the only one who does that. I think they are a natural fit since David Allen gets you to, well, get things done but Stephen Covey helps you to maintain a well rounded life and prioritze what needs to be done.
Strictly my opinion - David Allen's approach starts at ground level and lets you work up to the "50,000 foot" level, and Stephen Covey starts at 50,000 foot and works down. David is "get the little stuff under control to free up time to work on the big stuff" and Stephen is "get the big stuff set up and then prioritize the little stuff". Both approaches have their place, and to me (and others) they both work well together. Even with the best prioritization we all still have to deal with all the
mozdev.org - greasemonkey: index
mozdev.org - greasemonkey: index
Now I have to admit I was very much against Google altering the browsing pages, mostly because content is altered only to the benefit of Google.
However, if a user wants to do some page hacking, I see no problems with that. At least the user has control over WHAT gets done, and can easily turn off the changes (theoretically at least). This goes hand in hand with the link to Ajax earlier.
The really cool scripts I have yet to find. I saw a dead-tree article about how someone had linked in a hover over to let them know if an ISBN was available at their local library, and a similar hover over to show the price of a book (again through ISBN) at Amazon and several other book sites. Personally I like these more than changes on the page itself. Even the developers have admitted they need a clearer way to let the users know that a page has been modified by user scripts.
BTW - there is a GreasemonkIE for Internet Explorer users. I use both IE & Firefox (at work & home respectively), although at work I am not sure I want to use GreasemonkIE since part of my job does involve web page development. There is enough weirdness going on without rogue javascripts giving me the red ass.
Now I have to admit I was very much against Google altering the browsing pages, mostly because content is altered only to the benefit of Google.
However, if a user wants to do some page hacking, I see no problems with that. At least the user has control over WHAT gets done, and can easily turn off the changes (theoretically at least). This goes hand in hand with the link to Ajax earlier.
The really cool scripts I have yet to find. I saw a dead-tree article about how someone had linked in a hover over to let them know if an ISBN was available at their local library, and a similar hover over to show the price of a book (again through ISBN) at Amazon and several other book sites. Personally I like these more than changes on the page itself. Even the developers have admitted they need a clearer way to let the users know that a page has been modified by user scripts.
BTW - there is a GreasemonkIE for Internet Explorer users. I use both IE & Firefox (at work & home respectively), although at work I am not sure I want to use GreasemonkIE since part of my job does involve web page development. There is enough weirdness going on without rogue javascripts giving me the red ass.
Geek News Central Revealing Links & Useful Technical Information
Geek News Central Revealing Links & Useful Technical Information
(Cleaning out some stuff from my aggregator, in case you did not guess that already.)
With the already announced Yahoo 360 (which I have not gotten an invite to, but I'm not sure if I want to use it) it should be interesting to see what happens. I already posted about Google getting into the portal arena, which means the portal heat is getting turned up again.
Portals seems so ancient history (like what, 2000 ;)), but I have to admit after having some problems with slow loading web pages even on cable I am liking the idea of a portal more and more. Couple portals with the Ajax concept and I think things will really cook.
I think, actually, portals before was an idea before its time. A good idea - a central point to gather your information. Reminds me of the "information at your fingertips" days of Micro$oft. However I think it was not until RSS really caught on that people saw the importance and potential for portals.
Speaking of Micro$oft, Dave Winer points out that MS is up to something concerning RSS. Ballmer, at least, misses the point of RSS - it is SUPPOSED TO BE SIMPLE. Over the years Microsoft only grudgingly adheres to open standards that they cannot control. After all that is one way they make money - ever notice how the file formats change version to version in Office? It will be interesting to see what MS will bring to the table, but as always it will not be worth a damn until version 3.0. Not that I am going to get much of a chance to use anything since I use OpenOffice at home.
(Cleaning out some stuff from my aggregator, in case you did not guess that already.)
With the already announced Yahoo 360 (which I have not gotten an invite to, but I'm not sure if I want to use it) it should be interesting to see what happens. I already posted about Google getting into the portal arena, which means the portal heat is getting turned up again.
Portals seems so ancient history (like what, 2000 ;)), but I have to admit after having some problems with slow loading web pages even on cable I am liking the idea of a portal more and more. Couple portals with the Ajax concept and I think things will really cook.
I think, actually, portals before was an idea before its time. A good idea - a central point to gather your information. Reminds me of the "information at your fingertips" days of Micro$oft. However I think it was not until RSS really caught on that people saw the importance and potential for portals.
Speaking of Micro$oft, Dave Winer points out that MS is up to something concerning RSS. Ballmer, at least, misses the point of RSS - it is SUPPOSED TO BE SIMPLE. Over the years Microsoft only grudgingly adheres to open standards that they cannot control. After all that is one way they make money - ever notice how the file formats change version to version in Office? It will be interesting to see what MS will bring to the table, but as always it will not be worth a damn until version 3.0. Not that I am going to get much of a chance to use anything since I use OpenOffice at home.
WIL WHEATON dot NET: Where is my mind?: spam egg spam spam bacon and spam
WIL WHEATON dot NET: Where is my mind?: spam egg spam spam bacon and spam
You go Wil! After all the years of spam I am ready to take a cattle prod the the dangly bits of some of these people. My favorite was a woman at work, a geek girl who has been around the internet quite awhile as well, who complained about not getting the right porn spam. I mean you would think with Elizabeth being part of her email they might at least send her some guys to look at. (In case you did not guess she had a weird sense of humor.)
You go Wil! After all the years of spam I am ready to take a cattle prod the the dangly bits of some of these people. My favorite was a woman at work, a geek girl who has been around the internet quite awhile as well, who complained about not getting the right porn spam. I mean you would think with Elizabeth being part of her email they might at least send her some guys to look at. (In case you did not guess she had a weird sense of humor.)
Howstuffworks "How Lightsabers Work"
Howstuffworks "How Lightsabers Work"
Ok, this is too cool, plus they have a picture of Mace Windu (Samuel L Jackson) on the main page. I want one to solve some of those pesky household chores, plus I bet I could scare some door to door sales men by practicing in the back yard ;).
Ok, this is too cool, plus they have a picture of Mace Windu (Samuel L Jackson) on the main page. I want one to solve some of those pesky household chores, plus I bet I could scare some door to door sales men by practicing in the back yard ;).
Google Introduces Internet Portal Feature - Yahoo! News
Google Introduces Internet Portal Feature - Yahoo! News
It should be interesting to see what Google does for portal work.
It should be interesting to see what Google does for portal work.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
Netflix Takes Over Wal-Mart DVD Rentals - Yahoo! News
Netflix Takes Over Wal-Mart DVD Rentals - Yahoo! News
The first person blinked in the DVD by mail wars.
Let me say that I use Netflix and I have tried Blockbuster's by mail and in store unlimited rentals. I found Blockbuster's options to be slower than Netflix and they had availablity problems (and from what I have heard they continue to). Their in store option is good, but when I did it it was $27/month (with tax) and it was hard to come up with enough rentals to make it worth my effort. They have since lowered the price which makes it easier, however because of the lower price and the no late fee promo there is very little available in the store.
The first person blinked in the DVD by mail wars.
Let me say that I use Netflix and I have tried Blockbuster's by mail and in store unlimited rentals. I found Blockbuster's options to be slower than Netflix and they had availablity problems (and from what I have heard they continue to). Their in store option is good, but when I did it it was $27/month (with tax) and it was hard to come up with enough rentals to make it worth my effort. They have since lowered the price which makes it easier, however because of the lower price and the no late fee promo there is very little available in the store.
Reid: Bush, GOP Seek to Reinvent Reality - Yahoo! News
Reid: Bush, GOP Seek to Reinvent Reality - Yahoo! News
I still can't believe the short sightedness of the Republicans. A part of me wants them to get their way and then quickly become the minority and start crying foul when the Democrats start ramming radical liberal judges through the system.
I still can't believe the short sightedness of the Republicans. A part of me wants them to get their way and then quickly become the minority and start crying foul when the Democrats start ramming radical liberal judges through the system.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Walking Fun
I added 3 new photos to my Flickr feed below from some of the walks I have been on this year.
I do these things called Volksmarches. They are run various chapters of the American Volksport Association. A Volks event is a non-competitive, non-charity based walk, bike, swim, etc. It comes out of Germany and from Hitler and was designed to help non-athletes get some exercise. The only person you are competing against is yourself.
What I like about these walks is they usually go by something interesting, and many times they lay them out so you walk by some of the more interesting sites in a city. Additionally they run a number of special programs which can help you to learn about say the Civil War. I hope to get my scanner up and running (my parallel cable disappeared) so I can scan some of my special patches that I have gotten this year.
One thing I am looking for is somewhere to post some photos on line. Flickr is ok, but I want something a little bigger and maybe a little more customizable that is free. If I get somewhere where I can post pictures on my trip I want to be able to throw things up for some of my friends to see.
I do these things called Volksmarches. They are run various chapters of the American Volksport Association. A Volks event is a non-competitive, non-charity based walk, bike, swim, etc. It comes out of Germany and from Hitler and was designed to help non-athletes get some exercise. The only person you are competing against is yourself.
What I like about these walks is they usually go by something interesting, and many times they lay them out so you walk by some of the more interesting sites in a city. Additionally they run a number of special programs which can help you to learn about say the Civil War. I hope to get my scanner up and running (my parallel cable disappeared) so I can scan some of my special patches that I have gotten this year.
One thing I am looking for is somewhere to post some photos on line. Flickr is ok, but I want something a little bigger and maybe a little more customizable that is free. If I get somewhere where I can post pictures on my trip I want to be able to throw things up for some of my friends to see.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Not a happy camper
Yours truly spent the night at the mechanics getting a high pressure hose on my transmission fixed. I have had a series of these little things of late - the things that break every so often but you just hate to keep paying for these things. It seems a shame to trash the car since this is basically normal wear & tear, but man does it suck. On the upside I probably would not have even known what the problem was if my sister in law was not over because my nephew was mowing my lawn. She noticed the transmission fluid running (not dripping) out.
What pisses me off more is that I missed my creativity class. I am enjoying the classes, but they were not done until after the class started. I also had to skip my walk today because of the car, and my computer had problems finding my wireless network. Needless to say I am not a happy camper.
On the upside I did finish The Hidden Messages In Water. For those who have any doubt of the power of words I would recommend this book. Dr. Emoto has some impressive pictures that shows how words affected the crystals when exposed to certain words, pictures, sounds, etc. VERY interesting.
What pisses me off more is that I missed my creativity class. I am enjoying the classes, but they were not done until after the class started. I also had to skip my walk today because of the car, and my computer had problems finding my wireless network. Needless to say I am not a happy camper.
On the upside I did finish The Hidden Messages In Water. For those who have any doubt of the power of words I would recommend this book. Dr. Emoto has some impressive pictures that shows how words affected the crystals when exposed to certain words, pictures, sounds, etc. VERY interesting.
Showdown Over Filibusters Appears Imminent - Yahoo! News
Showdown Over Filibusters Appears Imminent - Yahoo! News
I have said this before and I will say it again - the filibuster is a good idea, no matter who has the majority. When (notice I did not say IF - politics are cyclic) the Republicans loose their majority they will do the same thing with "radical" Democratic candidates. If you look historically few candidates are blocked on both sides of the aisle. The current "problem" is just some whining in my opinion, mostly because there are Supreme court nominations coming up (as is mentioned in the article).
I have said this before and I will say it again - the filibuster is a good idea, no matter who has the majority. When (notice I did not say IF - politics are cyclic) the Republicans loose their majority they will do the same thing with "radical" Democratic candidates. If you look historically few candidates are blocked on both sides of the aisle. The current "problem" is just some whining in my opinion, mostly because there are Supreme court nominations coming up (as is mentioned in the article).
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Grocery Store Wars | Join the Organic Rebellion
Grocery Store Wars | Join the Organic Rebellion
Just in time for the new Star Wars episode. Truely weird, which is probably why I like it.
Just in time for the new Star Wars episode. Truely weird, which is probably why I like it.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Voinovich Slams Bolton but OKs Senate Vote - Yahoo! News
Voinovich Slams Bolton but OKs Senate Vote - Yahoo! News
Although a Republican, George Voinovich has always been level headed. I even voted for him because he has good common sense.
Although a Republican, George Voinovich has always been level headed. I even voted for him because he has good common sense.
Testing Fun
 | You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.
What is Your World View? created with QuizFarm.com |
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
MacDad: The Hubble Telescope Discovers God is Watching
MacDad: The Hubble Telescope Discovers God is Watching
I loved this picture and thought I would let everyone else see it.
I loved this picture and thought I would let everyone else see it.
MacDad: The Hubble Telescope Discovers God is Watching
MacDad: The Hubble Telescope Discovers God is Watching
I loved this picture and thought I would let everyone else see it.
I loved this picture and thought I would let everyone else see it.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Feeling better
I'm doing some system stuff that I need to do so while that runs I thought I would take some time to do an update.
The worst of the cold/flu thing is over. I think there was an allergy aspect to this, although I have never had spring allergies. Between that and getting some serious sleep last night I feel pretty good right now.
The worst of the cold/flu thing is over. I think there was an allergy aspect to this, although I have never had spring allergies. Between that and getting some serious sleep last night I feel pretty good right now.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Apple - Trailers - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Apple - Trailers - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
More tease than trailer, but still worth a look.
More tease than trailer, but still worth a look.
CITIZEN-TIMES.com: Members say church ousts Kerry supporters
CITIZEN-TIMES.com: Members say church ousts Kerry supporters
Although I would say that by and large churches should be allowed to determine who can be members, I hope the IRS makes an example out of them and revokes the tax-exempt status. It is one thing to kick pro-choice people out of a church that is pro-life, but to kick people out because they supported a candidate REGARDLESS OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL VIEWS ON THE TOPICS, is wrong and against the law for tax-exempt status.
Any more candidates are choosing the lesser of two evils. You may feel that it is less evil to vote for the pro-choice Kerry vs. what Bush has done in Iraq. I have met pro-life Democrats and pro-choice Republicans, Democrats who feel we did the right thing in Iraq, and Republicans who don't. Backing a particular candidate does not mean you agree with everything that candidate does. Personally I am a Democrat only because I cannot vote on issues only during a primary locally, or should I say at one time that is what I do. I voted for Kerry, put I also voted for a Republican senator because I thought he was the best man for the job. Novel concept - voting for who you feel will do the right job and not concern yourself for what poltiical party he belongs to.
Although I would say that by and large churches should be allowed to determine who can be members, I hope the IRS makes an example out of them and revokes the tax-exempt status. It is one thing to kick pro-choice people out of a church that is pro-life, but to kick people out because they supported a candidate REGARDLESS OF THEIR INDIVIDUAL VIEWS ON THE TOPICS, is wrong and against the law for tax-exempt status.
Any more candidates are choosing the lesser of two evils. You may feel that it is less evil to vote for the pro-choice Kerry vs. what Bush has done in Iraq. I have met pro-life Democrats and pro-choice Republicans, Democrats who feel we did the right thing in Iraq, and Republicans who don't. Backing a particular candidate does not mean you agree with everything that candidate does. Personally I am a Democrat only because I cannot vote on issues only during a primary locally, or should I say at one time that is what I do. I voted for Kerry, put I also voted for a Republican senator because I thought he was the best man for the job. Novel concept - voting for who you feel will do the right job and not concern yourself for what poltiical party he belongs to.
For Some Techies, an Interminable Workday - Yahoo! News
For Some Techies, an Interminable Workday - Yahoo! News
You don't have to have super long days dealing with off shore teams to have this kind of burn out. Hopefully companies will realize they are only burning out their managers.
You don't have to have super long days dealing with off shore teams to have this kind of burn out. Hopefully companies will realize they are only burning out their managers.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Some random things
Today I feel like crap. I am getting the cold/flu thingy that is going around work and I feel like crap. One of the interesting things about this is you see things in a different light.
Bovine Feces
I was reading a story in the paper and the author was quoting someone who, obviously, had said bullshit and they substituted Bovine Feces. Pretty cool idea!
Cool licsense plate
On the way to work today I saw the plate WHO RU2B. It stuck with me all day.
Professional wrestling = male soap operas
I dislike professional wrestling, however I saw an ad for one of the wrestling shows. The way it was done it reminded me a lot of ads for soap operas. It seems that if there is body slams involved it is OK for a guy to watch it.
The Longest Yard, remixed
Again I saw an ad for The Longest Yard that is coming out at the end of the month. Adam Sandler is hit or miss for me, but he will probably do a good job in this. I loved the original with Burt Reynolds, and it looks like he has a part in this one.
I think I am going to cut it there. My head hurts and I am ready to fall asleep.
Bovine Feces
I was reading a story in the paper and the author was quoting someone who, obviously, had said bullshit and they substituted Bovine Feces. Pretty cool idea!
Cool licsense plate
On the way to work today I saw the plate WHO RU2B. It stuck with me all day.
Professional wrestling = male soap operas
I dislike professional wrestling, however I saw an ad for one of the wrestling shows. The way it was done it reminded me a lot of ads for soap operas. It seems that if there is body slams involved it is OK for a guy to watch it.
The Longest Yard, remixed
Again I saw an ad for The Longest Yard that is coming out at the end of the month. Adam Sandler is hit or miss for me, but he will probably do a good job in this. I loved the original with Burt Reynolds, and it looks like he has a part in this one.
I think I am going to cut it there. My head hurts and I am ready to fall asleep.
Google-Yahoo Traffic Maps
Google-Yahoo Traffic Maps
Found this over at O'Reilly Radar. REAL cool idea, but unfortunately it uses Yahoo & Google, which means this probably will not last for long. Just goes to show you how ingenius hackers (and I mean the real definition of the term, not what the media uses) can be.
Found this over at O'Reilly Radar. REAL cool idea, but unfortunately it uses Yahoo & Google, which means this probably will not last for long. Just goes to show you how ingenius hackers (and I mean the real definition of the term, not what the media uses) can be.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Regular-type post
Just kind of a catchup.
I started a creativity workshop, for lack of a better term. I have been in groups run by Jim in the past so I know it will be good. Given how drained I have felt lately this is part of what I need to help fill up the well. What I like is that we are going to look at not only some of the more traditional types of exercises I have worked with in the past, but also some of the latest research on brain function. This will, hopefully, give me a few new tools to help me reverse my current situation.
RSS - Some things I would like to see
I am something of a johny-come-lately to the whole RSS thing. I have to admit though I like it. I think all blogs should have a feed. Face it - we all do not have the time to visit even 12 blogs daily.
After seeing the traffic update that comes through Yahoo earlier today, I thought of a few things I would like to see:
1) Electronic bill presentment - It would be cool to see at least a message and a link to the page. I would optionally like to either present a generic message or the name of the presentor. For example I would not care if, over an unsecure line, that Dominion East Ohio came through since they bill EVERYONE in the city. However I may not want everyone to know I have a GM Mastercard.
2) Weather, although I am sure that is already done.
3) TV schedules. This would be cool, and given that My Yahoo offers that I am sure there is a way to do this. The trick here is formatting the feed in a table format so it looks like something out of TV Guide.
4) Localized upcoming events. Typically these things are done through newspapers now, but it would be cool if we could get these events submittedthrough some kind of gatekeeper (to avoid spam) and receive the events we want, or to open up to search/filtering so that we can skip all the over 50 and country music acts but include all the oompa band & bagpipe performances. Have the problem I have is wading through all the "crap" (crap being relative to each person) to find events that I maybe interested in.
5) Notifiers - given the number of email, voice mail, and other accounts it would be nice if we could have something that would easily monitor if there is new items and provide a link over to the source.
I started a creativity workshop, for lack of a better term. I have been in groups run by Jim in the past so I know it will be good. Given how drained I have felt lately this is part of what I need to help fill up the well. What I like is that we are going to look at not only some of the more traditional types of exercises I have worked with in the past, but also some of the latest research on brain function. This will, hopefully, give me a few new tools to help me reverse my current situation.
RSS - Some things I would like to see
I am something of a johny-come-lately to the whole RSS thing. I have to admit though I like it. I think all blogs should have a feed. Face it - we all do not have the time to visit even 12 blogs daily.
After seeing the traffic update that comes through Yahoo earlier today, I thought of a few things I would like to see:
1) Electronic bill presentment - It would be cool to see at least a message and a link to the page. I would optionally like to either present a generic message or the name of the presentor. For example I would not care if, over an unsecure line, that Dominion East Ohio came through since they bill EVERYONE in the city. However I may not want everyone to know I have a GM Mastercard.
2) Weather, although I am sure that is already done.
3) TV schedules. This would be cool, and given that My Yahoo offers that I am sure there is a way to do this. The trick here is formatting the feed in a table format so it looks like something out of TV Guide.
4) Localized upcoming events. Typically these things are done through newspapers now, but it would be cool if we could get these events submittedthrough some kind of gatekeeper (to avoid spam) and receive the events we want, or to open up to search/filtering so that we can skip all the over 50 and country music acts but include all the oompa band & bagpipe performances. Have the problem I have is wading through all the "crap" (crap being relative to each person) to find events that I maybe interested in.
5) Notifiers - given the number of email, voice mail, and other accounts it would be nice if we could have something that would easily monitor if there is new items and provide a link over to the source.
Pa. Eatery Offers New 15-Pound Burger - Yahoo! News
Pa. Eatery Offers New 15-Pound Burger - Yahoo! News
Ok, this is stupid. There was a place in Akron that had a half or one pound burger that required a special bun.
Now for the ultimate Mike's Place in Kent, Ohio has something called "The Belly Buster." This is, basically, one order of everything from their breakfast menu that, as I have been told, is served in one of those trays used at the all you can eat places. Even with that Mike's is still a good place. If you notice on their web page is a shot of the restaurant with a full size (or pretty close) X-Wing fighter in the parking lot.
Ok, this is stupid. There was a place in Akron that had a half or one pound burger that required a special bun.
Now for the ultimate Mike's Place in Kent, Ohio has something called "The Belly Buster." This is, basically, one order of everything from their breakfast menu that, as I have been told, is served in one of those trays used at the all you can eat places. Even with that Mike's is still a good place. If you notice on their web page is a shot of the restaurant with a full size (or pretty close) X-Wing fighter in the parking lot.
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio: Press Releases
NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio: Press Releases
Everyone in Ohio is yelling that the sky is falling, or more specifically the population is falling and yet we continue to do stupid things like this.
According to a WKSU (Kent State radio) interview this bill further makes it a felony to transport a woman to a state that would allow an abortion. The logic on this is that its frowned upon to go out of state to perform an action that would be illegal in state. I guess the next step would be to arrest anyone who went out of state to gamble.
Everyone has been complaining about not only the population falling but the brain drain in the state. All the Republicans point to our high taxes as the ONLY reason. Let's see - we want to attract intellectual people, many of whom are women (and in an unrelated issue gay) yet we want to ban abortion and gay marriage. If I was a woman or gay and had a choice of jobs Ohio is not where I would take that job, even though I love my state.
I don't care if people are for or against abortion. If you are against it feel free to park yourself outside of abortion clinics and protest, but do not try to legislate this issue.
Everyone in Ohio is yelling that the sky is falling, or more specifically the population is falling and yet we continue to do stupid things like this.
According to a WKSU (Kent State radio) interview this bill further makes it a felony to transport a woman to a state that would allow an abortion. The logic on this is that its frowned upon to go out of state to perform an action that would be illegal in state. I guess the next step would be to arrest anyone who went out of state to gamble.
Everyone has been complaining about not only the population falling but the brain drain in the state. All the Republicans point to our high taxes as the ONLY reason. Let's see - we want to attract intellectual people, many of whom are women (and in an unrelated issue gay) yet we want to ban abortion and gay marriage. If I was a woman or gay and had a choice of jobs Ohio is not where I would take that job, even though I love my state.
I don't care if people are for or against abortion. If you are against it feel free to park yourself outside of abortion clinics and protest, but do not try to legislate this issue.
O'Reilly Radar
O'Reilly Radar
Forgot to add this to my last entry. This blogish type page is interesting for anyone who is even remotely geekish. O'Reilly has done some interesting books and a big supporter of open source (as well Microsoft and Mac - they recognize how to make money). There are not a lot of entries, and although not every entry is going to be interesting it is worth it to find that 1 or 2 entries that will send your mind working in a different way.
Forgot to add this to my last entry. This blogish type page is interesting for anyone who is even remotely geekish. O'Reilly has done some interesting books and a big supporter of open source (as well Microsoft and Mac - they recognize how to make money). There are not a lot of entries, and although not every entry is going to be interesting it is worth it to find that 1 or 2 entries that will send your mind working in a different way.
Traffic Conditions Data - John Resig
Traffic Conditions Data - John Resig
This is neat, and in my opinion a much better way to get traffic info than trying to read the paper. It looks like there is a tie in for Apple OS X for those who use Apple as well, but there is an RSS feed for the rest of us unwashed masses.
This is neat, and in my opinion a much better way to get traffic info than trying to read the paper. It looks like there is a tie in for Apple OS X for those who use Apple as well, but there is an RSS feed for the rest of us unwashed masses.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
An interesting observation
Is it just me, or are charities sending out more return address labels at a time when people do not need as many labels? Granted I still mail a lot of stuff out the old fashion way, but it seems like people over all are using the regular mail less and less.
Burn It Spring 2005
Sorry all for getting this out late. I should be dropping the discs in the mail tomorrow. Here is what I came up with.
Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
I Get Around by The Beach Boys
All Revved Up With No Place To Go by Meatloaf
The Ballad of Billy the Kid by Billy Joel
Mr. Roboto by Sytx
The Devil Went Down To Georgia by The charlie Daniel's Band
We Will Rock You by Queen
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 1 by Pink Floyd
Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar
(You Can Still) Rock In America by Night Ranger
My Town by Michael Stanley Band
Seduce Me Tonight by Cycle V
Flamethrower by J. Geils Band
Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
Dancing in the Sheets by Shalamar
Hot For Teacher by Van Halen
In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
Illegal Alien by Gnesis
Foxey Lady by Jimi Hendrix
Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
I Get Around by The Beach Boys
All Revved Up With No Place To Go by Meatloaf
The Ballad of Billy the Kid by Billy Joel
Mr. Roboto by Sytx
The Devil Went Down To Georgia by The charlie Daniel's Band
We Will Rock You by Queen
Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 1 by Pink Floyd
Heartbreaker by Pat Benatar
(You Can Still) Rock In America by Night Ranger
My Town by Michael Stanley Band
Seduce Me Tonight by Cycle V
Flamethrower by J. Geils Band
Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
Dancing in the Sheets by Shalamar
Hot For Teacher by Van Halen
In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
Illegal Alien by Gnesis
Foxey Lady by Jimi Hendrix
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