Infinite Monkeys |
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Sunday, June 29, 2003
Andrew Sullivan points to a great article on the coverage of the affirmative action Supreme Court decision, written by Eugene Volokh who is guest writing Glenn Reynolds' MSNBC column. Yes, that sentence contained all three of my favorite bloggers. Non-monkey bloggers, I mean. Friday, June 27, 2003
Thursday, June 26, 2003
Not that I don't appreciate Harry Browne reminding us that providing free prescription drugs is not the government's job, but it's nice to also read a suggestion that could feasibly come into being within our current government without having some sort of uprising or revolution as a prerequisite. Current Song: "Jewel [cut rough with edited intro]" from the album A Secret Wish [ZTT-Universal] by Propaganda Current Song: "Bad Vibes Everybody" from the album Tucson by Cracker (yes, I've been cheating on this feature - but only so you won't know that I sit around listening to Jello Biafra's spoken-word rantings all day) Tuesday, June 24, 2003
In a moment of classic Cox, well, EVIL, the company has now started enforcing a truly fascist e-mail transmission policy. If you're not inclined to follow the link, here's the important quote: Please note that Cox requires that all email messages sent from our network go through Cox outbound (SMTP) servers. Any attempt to send email using a 3rd party outbound email server will result in an error message (on your email software), and the message will not be delivered! Then they babble on about how it will reduce the amount of SPAM that is sent from their network. Uh, right. Okay, so let's say I get over the PRINCIPLE of the thing and agree to set up their SMTP server as my outbound mail server. No technical problem, right? Wrong. You see, like many (if not most) people who have IT jobs, my primary computer is a laptop that I use both at home, at the office/lab, and at customer sites. Cox, with typical lack of foresight, does not allow access to their SMTP servers from segments that aren't on the Cox network. So there is no single e-mail configuration I can use from either home or work to transmit my messages. This is the latest in a ridiculous series of rules imposed by Cox that appear to have the aim of discouraging people from engaging in any productive activity from their home network. First, they stopped offering static IP addresses (not even for a fee) to any consumer-grade service, so my VPN router stopped allowing me into my company network from home. Then they shut down all inbound traffic on ports 80 and 25, so I can't receive e-mail messages on a personal SMTP server, and inbound web traffic is increasingly cumbersome. You can pretty much bet that their next move will be to block all VPN protocols. Today's current song seems particularly appropriate. Current Song: "Here Come The Bastards" from the album Sailing The Seas Of Cheese by Primus Our single-malt friend over at Pathetic Earthlings has moved. Surprise, surprise: he's moved from Blogger to Moveable Type. Did we mention our shared affection for whisky? Saturday, June 21, 2003
Friday, June 20, 2003
Nominee for worst food metaphor ever: From a review of a restaurant called Roppongi in the San Diego Zagat guide: ...don't forget to leave room for some of the city's most spectacular desserts -- the caramelized bananas over vanilla ice cream with almond brittle is an orgasm on a plate.Uh, no. No thank you. One of these days, I'm going to take the time to re-read David Brin's Earth. I remember it as a good read, but I am also struck by how often I think "hmm, that's actually what's happened." Not, "that's kind of what's happened," like the newpaper machines that print custom papers (print?) or corporations directly owning congressional seats (it's still indirect) from Joe Haldeman's Worlds. No, in Earth, Brin predicts fairly accurately how the Internet will work, even (sort of) the Blogsphere, and predicts that a lot of people (especially old folks) will wear the kind of wearable camera R.B. decribes below. It's about the end of privacy, which is creepy but somewhat inevitable. Thursday, June 19, 2003
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
Andrew Sullivan's proposal for bloggers to help Iranian dissidents appeals to the idealist in me. It will probably just prompt that cynic Ben to quote more bleak T.S. Elliot poetry. Saturday, June 14, 2003
Digital Hub Wishlist Item #1 Okay, so iTunes is pretty darn cool. And version 4 was even cooler before Apple sucked up to the RIAA by emasculating the streaming feature. (Here's a fix, by the way.) But it's still missing several features that would make it kick serious MusicMatch butt. Here, I submit a short list of features that would really improve the product, particularly for folks that have very large music collections: Multiple Libraries - It's kind of surprising to me that Apple hasn't included this yet. I've got a PowerBook G4 that I take everywhere with me. I've also got over 14,000 song files in my library, which are currently stored on a 120GB FireWire hard drive. I also have a fairly hefty PC server in my home office, and a 20GB Neo Jukebox that lives in my car, but must be brought into the house and hooked up to my PC server in order to load songs on it. I have to manually move my songs from location to location, taking tedious care to move songs that are destined for either of the PC hard drives into a "staging directory" where I must carefully remove brackets, question marks, and other scary characters that aren't supported on FAT or NTFS file systems before I move them to their destination. And once the files are there, I have no readily available catalog that will show me what's contained on that device. I should be able to manage multiple libraries, each with their own destination, and all rolling up to a single "Master Library" that I can browse and manipulate as I wish, copying and/or moving songs between libraries from within the iTunes interface. And the automatic song file and directory management should compensate for limitations in its destination file system by leaving funky characters out of the filenames. The Master Library concept would also work stunningly with iTunes 4's already impressive streaming library sharing. More File Formats - Okay, maybe it's not realistic to expect Apple to pay the necessary licensing costs to support RealAudio and Windows Media formats, but how about MP3Pro, at least? And, for that matter, why not have better QuickTime integration, so that you can catalog videos, streams, or other related media along with your favorite bands' songs? Burning Improvements - iTunes should support auto-spanning of playlists across multiple CD's, and include a "quick burn" feature so that you can highlight all the songs in an album (for example), right-click and select "Burn", without having to create a playlist, move the tracks, burn them, and then delete the playlist. Sorting/Filtering Improvements - Complex sorting that would allow compilations to be sorted together while still maintaining an overall sort by Artist would be welcome, as would the ability to define second and third priority sorting fields (for example, sort by Artist, then Release Year, then Album name, so that an artists releases will sort in the order they were released). FIltering could be more flexible, as well - I'd like to be able to find all of my MP3 files that are NOT recorded with variable bit rate, so that I can re-rip them in VBR. Automatic Tagging - One of my favorite MusicMatch Jukebox features is SuperTagging. Conversely, one of my greatest irritations with iTunes is that importing files that are not already tagged (or tagged improperly) results in files hiding in your library with names you don't recognize. iTunes should give you the option, when importing, of allowing it to use rules (directory names, file names, etc.) to automatically tag the files and prompt the user to confirm the suggested tag information. Also, there should be a "last import" smart playlist that is similar to the feature in iPhoto, so that when you import untagged files (for instance, I've been converting my out-of-print records and cassettes to digital formats), at least the latest batch will be sorted together for quicker manual tagging. Database Features - Hey, most of this information is just stored in a database, right? Let's have some custom fields and drivers for (read-only, at least) access by FileMaker and other database programs. One "comments" field is not enough. I want to be able to manage the relationship of my digital music collection to my records, cassettes, CD's, etc. And, since I'm a collector of audience recordings of taper friendly bands, I'd like to be able to include tape source and recording information. Multiple libraries is really the key, though. If I could have that, then I would spend more time actually listening to my music (wherever I am), rather than just organizing my media. Current Song: "The Ghost At Number One" from the album Spilt Milk by Jellyfish What I should have been doing when I wrote this entry: Generating invoices and managing accounts receivable for my little consultancy. Friday, June 13, 2003
Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Is anyone else ticked off that the All-Star Game is going to determine who gets home field advantage for the World Series? Whose crackpot idea was that? Current Song: "Sweethearts" from the album 2003-02-15 Schorndorf, Manufaktur, Germany by Camper Van Beethoven Tuesday, June 10, 2003
On the Daily Show, Jon Stewart was once discussing all of the things wrong with Iraq, and said "Why, they're the Wal-Mart of evil! No, wait, Wal-Mart is the Wal-Mart of evil." Yes, they are, for many reasons, but the latest is that they are going after Netflix. Imitation may be flattery, and, yes, companies should not have the right to a certain business for themselves. But in this case, Wal-Mart is being particularly weasily. Their press releases act like they invented the idea of renting DVDs by mail, and their packaging is suspiciously similar to what Netflix uses. Netflix is on the short list of things I really like (along with my Tivo and iPod). So go sign up for Netflix. Now, dammit. Rumors that Saddam has been sighted. Whether true or not, until he is caught or confirmed dead, it's going to be hard to create a stable Iraq--or get people who really know anything to talk the former regime's activities. Monday, June 09, 2003
The other night, I tried some Turning Leaf merlot someone brought to my house. The back label goes into winespeak and says "a generous presentation of blackberry and plums accentuated by oak aging to add soft vanilla notes and smooth finish." But the oak doesn't add anything except nasty woody flavors that make me want to gag. Maybe it's because I drank it after the much more approachable Rosemount Estate merlot, or maybe it's because I don't care for most merlot, but this thing was a lousy wine trying to be a cocktail. It was certainly not friendly to food, the way Chianti wines are, or grenache wines from Spain. Go find a bottle of Vina Borgia wine from Spain for less that $5 a bottle, and see what real wine should be. Actually, check this link, wonderfully translated from the German by Google, to discover what wine "developed without wood employment" is like. Now, I'm not against oak. I just believe in the French philosophy (that's the only time you'll see me use those words, trust me) that oak should be saved for the greatest wines, not used to mask the flavors of poor wines. Go buy some cheap Spanish, Argentine, or even French wine with a vintage date close to this one (suggesting little oak aging or time on the shelf) and see what I mean. Or, if you just got a bonus at work, go buy an expensive French white Burgundy to see when oak is meant to be used. As a 15" PowerBook user, I can't imagine I'm the only person who's been frustrated trying to use the darn thing while flying in coach (or, in my case, Southwest Airlines, which is ALL coach). If the person in front of you reclines, your work day is over, and that's pretty much true if you don't have an aisle seat anyway. I can't imagine what the handful of 17" PB owners do. And when I was still using a fairly compact Toshiba laptop I had the same problem with reclining folks. So, although the cost might be prohibitive, I've come up with the perfect air travel buddy: A super-compact 12" monitor and keyboard combination that can plug into the video and USB connectors of your laptop (Mac or PC) and allow you to work at your seat while your laptop stays safely ensconced in your briefcase. Better yet, make the thing a dual-purpose device and run Palm OS or Pocket PC so that it has some function when it's not being your monitor. It wouldn't take many 2-3 hour plane rides to pay for a device like that. Friday, June 06, 2003
Anyway, I walk in from a three-day trip to Northern California, and the latest issue is waiting with the rest of my mail, and the "bottom" cover story is "Blog Bonanza". Just what I've been waiting for! An explanation of what I'm trying to do here, and how I might do it better. They review seven blogging environments (including Blogger Pro) and, even more exciting, a break-out article rating six OS X posting tools. FYI, the highest rated environments were Moveable Type and pMachine Pro. The highest rated posting tool was Kung-Log, which I am using to create and post this entry, and which also led me to the author's blog, which he calls chaotic intransient prose bursts, as well as a fun set of AppleScripts that post your currently playing iTunes song into a little window on your website. A similar function is built-in to Kung-Log, and was used for the announcement at the end of this entry. I wanted to take it through its paces, but didn't want to accidentally post poorly formatted drivel on this otherwise consistently fascinating and intellectually compelling weblog, so I went ahead and created a personal weblog so that I could test the tool out. This exercise taught me a couple of useful things: 1. New weblogs on Blogger are created in the "New Blogger", which has a different interface & stuff. 2. More importantly, the "New Blogger" has a different API posting server. Good to know when you're configuring your posting program. Now that I've gotten through that, I'm enjoying the tool. The interface is much better than the web-based Blogger interface, and I can create posts off-line and save them as drafts. More importantly, it's got great shortcuts for entering links and formatting into your posts. Very nice. And there are further features that are available for more robust API sets such as Moveable Type has. Okay, enough raving. I dig the tool, and I will sing its praises until it does me wrong, and then I will tear at it relentlessly until it leaves the room weeping. Right now I'm listening to "Echo" from the album Sky Motel by Kristin Hersh I don't care if Martha's guilty or not, but I think she should be acquitted on the sole grounds that she did a show where they toured the Maker's Mark Bourbon factory, told us how bourbon was made, and then showed us how to make authentic Kentucky Derby mint juleps. Here's a recipe, but not the one from the show. The show was a couple of years ago, and they even showed you the best way to crush the mint leaves in this cloth and then pour the mixture through it. Very cool. I like to think that "I'm Just A Bill" is really a plot by the Hollywood Left to convince us that all Bills are just cute little fellows sitting on the capitol steps waiting to become Laws, and that therefore it is our responsibility to pass them, regardless of what precious freedoms they wind up stealing from us. A Bill is like one of those charming waifs you meet on the street of a poverty-stricken nation who winds up stealing your wallet. I love telling a story about one of my idols, Julia Child, and Martha Stewart. Julia had a series called "In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs." It was great--the lobster she cooked with Jasper White was one of the best things I've ever tasted (my friend Ken made it at his house in Big Bear; Ben can also attest to the fine cooking at Chateau Ken). Man, that lobster was great. So sweet. What was I talking about again? Oh, yeah, Julia and Martha. So Julia--whose favorite dish is Jasper White's pan fried lobster; she was even eating it when she got the tragic news that her beloved husband had died--it just melts in your mouth, with this amazing lobster flavor and... Oh, shoot. Julia and Martha. Right. Anyway, I would tell about how Martha made a wedding cake, with all these little carved marzipan fruits. It took two shows, when all the other Master chefs managed to make their dishes in one, even Jasper, who takes the lobster...focus, focus...and at one point, Martha cautions about moving the layers of the cake so they don't crack. Julia says (picture Julia, or at least Dan Ackroyd imitating Julia), "But won't the icing cover it anyway?" Martha looks horrified. That's how I tell it, anyway. I'm sure it's much funnier in my memory. The truth is, Martha is much more fun as a caricature of who she is, than as the actual dynamic, brilliant, strong woman that she really is. That's why I'm dismayed that she is facing these ridiculous charges. She deserves far better. I became convinced reading Jeffrey Toobin's New Yorker account (not available online, alas) that she was innocent; now, she's facing the incredibly Kafkaesque charges that she's guilty because she said she's innocent. Seriously. I'm not making that up. Read this. The worms love to eat the lions, and recent history is full of overzealous prosecutors trying to make a name for themselves by ruining the lives of celebrities so they have a foundation for a political career. But this one is particularly sickening. Free Martha! Jimmy Kimmel just said that "Tivo is the greatest invention of my lifetime." I agree with that. He then goes on to misinterpret Tivo's sale of the data, but say "it's still worth it; it's great." The misunderstanding is that Tivo isn't selling individually identifiable data. It's just aggregate. The genius is that Tivo is saying hey, advertisers, we're selling the technology to skip your commercials, then selling you the info on whether your commercial got skipped. So brilliant. And, yes, if you want to opt out of even the aggregate data collection, it just takes a quick call to Tivo. Go buy a Tivo, dammit. Tuesday, June 03, 2003
Monday, June 02, 2003
Update: Ugh. Didn't blog, but I sure wasted a lot of time putting off working through other means (thanks for the Dan Quayle recap, Deuce). Sooooo sleeeeeepy... Sunday, June 01, 2003
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