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Friday, September 30, 2005

Griffin SmartDeck Finally Finally Finally Shipping
MacMinute pointed out today that Griffin Technology's SmartDeck cassette adapter is finally shipping. Cassette adapters have been around since the age of the Discman, but the SmartDeck has a new feature: it allows you to control your iPod via the cassette controls on your stereo. You can play and pause, as well as skip and scan forward and back. If your steering wheel can control your cassette player, then your steering wheel can control your iPod. Cool. For improved audio quality, it even sets the optimal volume on the iPod automatically.

I pre-ordered the SmartDeck a long time ago, and its release was delayed several times by Griffin. I still haven't received my shipping notice, so I've sent them an email asking for an update on my order status. I'm going home this weekend, and I hope this will be my last weekend trip without a SmartDeck available. It's a long drive, especially since I take the long way home.

You can order the SmartDeck directly from Griffin or you can use my handy Amazon.com link. Please note that as of this writing, Amazon is listing it as "In stock soon."

Complaining on behalf of John, even though he didn't ask me to
4:08:30 PM stowington: the music loop that you hear when IKEA puts you on hold is 4:44 in length
4:08:53 PM stowington: I have been on hold for 25 minutes
4:09:08 PM skierwysz: wow, why are you calling ikea?
4:12:15 PM stowington: because I ordered chairs off their website on the 14th
4:13:29 PM skierwysz: well i ordered a griffin smartdeck on april 13th, and i can assure you that when i post this quote i will include an amazon.com link
4:13:52 PM stowington: awesome
4:14:08 PM stowington: glad I could help
4:14:13 PM skierwysz: i'm assuming that your chairs have not been delivered
4:14:36 PM skierwysz: am i correct?
4:15:44 PM stowington: the confirmation email said "we will contact you to confirm your order with the details
about your delivery and total cost within 5 - 7 business days."
4:16:20 PM skierwysz: do you know how many days a week they do business?
4:16:22 PM stowington: I emailed them at the end of business hours on friday, the 7th business day, and said it's been 7 business days, what's up?
4:16:37 PM stowington: I got an email back from them TODAY
4:16:45 PM stowington: 5 more business days later
4:16:54 PM skierwysz: and what did the email say
4:17:27 PM stowington: they're experiencing "technical difficulties" and I should call them
4:17:45 PM skierwysz: ah
4:18:07 PM stowington: oh and they apologize for any inconvenience
4:18:10 PM stowington: twice
4:18:23 PM stowington: maybe once was for putting me on hold
4:18:34 PM skierwysz: haha
4:19:07 PM stowington: the timer on my phone said the call had gone for just over 26 minutes when they finally picked up
4:19:43 PM stowington: and then I was done with them in 5
4:20:07 PM skierwysz: did they help you?
4:20:53 PM stowington: well the guy said he was terribly sorry but the order hadn't gone through but that I shouldn't have to wait any longer so he transferred me to their sales dept.
4:21:45 PM stowington: and the sales lady said the shipping was going to be really high but they have my things in stock at the store in white marsh so I said forget it I won't order them
4:22:02 PM skierwysz: ah
4:22:31 PM skierwysz: ok well im'a get going now cause i want to go home and i'm afraid you might ask someone to drive you to ikea
4:24:00 PM stowington: I was just noticing it was a nice segue into that
4:24:35 PM stowington: but I decided not to ask because then it would seem like the whole thing was a setup for it
4:24:55 PM stowington: when really I just wanted to complain about being on hold for so long
4:25:31 PM skierwysz: good, well i'm really going now so i can't drive you anyway. the best i could do is drop you off at the store and pick you up on sunday
4:25:39 PM stowington: sweet
4:26:05 PM stowington: I can make a tent out of a swedish bedspread
4:26:26 PM stowington: or better yet
4:26:44 PM stowington: buy a bed, assemble it in the parking lot, sleep in it over the weekend, and then return it on sunday
4:27:03 PM skierwysz: sounds like a plan

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Get a call from Brian Wilson
Brian Wilson, known mostly for his work with The Beach Boys, is offering a unique incentive to contribute to a fund benefiting hurricane victims. If you donate $100 or more to the fund, Brian Wilson will call you to say hello or answer a question you have for him. Also, any donation, even if it is less than $100, will be matched by Brian and his wife, Melinda.

Instructions for making the donation (via PayPal) can be found on Brian Wilson's website. You must donate by October 1st, which is Saturday, so get going if you have the funds.

Hopkins Deli Restaurant now open
My market research staff has informed me that I have an estimated readership of 9.26 Hopkins affiliates, so this message is for you kids. Hopkins Deli, right next to Hopkins House at W. University Pkwy. and 39th, has its new restaurant area open and fully operational. The selection is actually quite good; I chose the calamari and a BLT. I ate there, even though I was the only one dining in at the time. Hopefully as word spreads it will become more popular. They also have a pool table and some arcade games sitting unused. And if you're into the beer thing, they have a few on tap including Yuengling and Guinness. I'd rather just have a Pepsi, but I'm pretty sure I only saw Coke at the fountain. You can't have everything, but for a place so close to campus this is pretty good.

Another one
Yet another word that's not in Tiger's spelling dictionary but is defined in the Dictionary application: calamari.

An experiment
10:27:40 PM skierwysz: you know you are the first person to comment on my halloween shirt. nobody notices anything on this campus. i have a potentially revealing but dangerous experiment i want to try. i hypothesize that i could walk from one of of campus to the other on fire, and nobody would look at me.
10:28:07 PM eh, steve!: that would be an interesting experiment
10:28:20 PM eh, steve!: though you might want to consult with a professional stunt man before attempting it
10:28:25 PM skierwysz: but anyway, regarding the shirt, i could either look ridiculous for wearing a halloween shirt on a day other than halloween, or feel ridiculous for having a shirt that i can only wear one day per year
10:28:33 PM eh, steve!: yes.
10:28:38 PM skierwysz: yeah i suppose that would be wise

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Gift Suggestion
I'm never very good at suggesting gifts for myself, especially in advance, but I just found something i want. CARS has just updated its line of t-shirts, including one that says: "Phil Schiller has a Posse." So, there you go, the perfect Halloween (or birthday or Christmas if you want to make me wait) gift for the Wysz. And it doesn't even matter if someone else gets me the same thing! You can never have too many t-shirts.

Oh, I'll take a large. Thanks.

Facebook Rage
11:44:22 PM skierwysz: ugh, honestly i'm pretty sure that some people don't look at their facebook pictures before posting them
11:45:34 PM eightman1984: haha
11:45:48 PM skierwysz: i mean i can find plenty of cases where that default question mark icon would be a more flattering representation
11:46:01 PM eightman1984: you have a lot of facebook rage

Sounds Thrilling
12:41:47 AM evanvan: i also love the san fran zoo widget, i love watching the pandas eat dinner, nothing is more enjoyable

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Exploding Beer Update #4
One of the owners of the beer company contacted me today and let me know why my beer a sploded. Buffalo, where the beer is made, had some water contamination issues. The water got into the beer, and caused it to become the exploding kind. The company recalled the beer when they found out about this weeks ago, so I should not have been able to purchase it in the first place. The owner asked for the name of the store where I bought it, which I gave him.

Fortunately, they are taking steps to fix the problem, including changing breweries, and they expect to begin shipping it again in six to eight weeks. And yes, I am getting a free replacement.

You heard it here, folks
10:03:33 PM evanvan: trump is having a baby
10:03:39 PM evanvan: if it's a girl, i am marrying it

Monday, September 26, 2005

New Strong Bad Email
Is it sad that I also missed the Geddup Noise? I remember having it in my head once and trying to remember what it was from.

Near-death beer-related incident
About 45 minutes after returning from the store, I was sitting peacefully at my computer when—POP! I heard something explode next to me, followed by the sound of glass falling. I looked to my right, and a beer bottle had exploded inside of a rolled up paper bag. Fortunately, the bag saved me from any sharp projectiles, but the shards were expelled at such a rate that the top of the bag was pushed open, and the top of the bottle along with a few other pieces exited the bag and landed several inches away:



After I gathered up the courage to put my face closer to the bag for a better look, I saw that it was indeed one bottle that had exploded:



I removed the six-pack containing the broken bottle and saw that the bottom of the bag contained a pool of beer. This was explained when I removed the bottle and saw that the bottom had blown off as well:





At least they put the caps on tight:




Nice find on Google Video: Homestarrunner.com interview on G4
Check it out. No seriously, check it out.

Exploding Beer Update #1
I'm not mentioning the name of the company just yet, but another bottle just exploded. A Google search has revealed that this has happened before with the same brand. The second one exploded after I had wiped off all of the remaining bottles and put them in a cabinet. The cabinet is still soaked in beer, because I can hear hissing coming from the cabinet and don't have any glass-proof protective gear, especially for my face. I do, however, have a fancy suit. I have also now officially been cut while cleaning up the glass. The edges are easy to avoid, but it's those small pieces you don't see that get you while you're drying your hands.

I've emailed the company and asked them to call me.



Exploding Beer Update #2: The Third Bottle
Exploding Beer Update #3
Another casualty of the latest explosion was my official Johns Hopkins University wine glass. I know it wasn't smart to put the Amazing Exploding Beer™ close to more glass, but I had to put it somewhere fast, and at this rate I'm too scared to go back in there and move stuff. Umm, well maybe I'll just save the scotch...


Wawawawawawawa
11:48:37 PM skierwysz: i refuse to go to places i don't recognize
11:49:15 PM eightman1984: its delicious
11:50:18 PM skierwysz: oh today i went where there was supposed to be a wawa, but it turned out to be some "quickie" thing. it was definitely a wawa though, cause of the building style. it even had the telltale wawa stonework on the front walls
11:50:27 PM skierwysz: i was infuriated, and refused to go in, even though i was hungry
11:50:36 PM eightman1984: good
11:50:44 PM eightman1984: i'm a disciple of wawa
11:51:01 PM skierwysz: me too
11:52:42 PM eightman1984: i love their soft pretzles
11:52:50 PM eightman1984: i walked like 2 miles to get some this weekend
11:53:00 PM skierwysz: yeah, i'm all about the hoagies
11:53:02 PM skierwysz: and donuts
11:53:05 PM skierwysz: and coffee
11:53:10 PM skierwysz: oh that place is delicious
11:53:13 PM eightman1984: yeah it is
11:53:14 PM skierwysz: and the gas
11:53:19 PM eightman1984: their hoagies are great

That's it, I'm going to Wawa.
I've moved the exploding bottles into boxes that are taped up and ready for the dumpster. I have a 10 AM class, but I need something good to happen tonight, so I'll catch you kids later.

11:57:08 PM skierwysz: i like that you can walk to one
11:57:18 PM eightman1984: i really can't right now, i'd be mugged
11:57:27 PM skierwysz: my trips to wawa involve registering a flightplan
11:58:08 PM skierwysz: and mugging is a very good possibility for me as well, as i walk to my car in baltimore
11:59:53 PM eightman1984: yeah

Sunday, September 25, 2005

Google Video now Mac-compatible
Google Video, which previously required the installation of a Windows-only player to view videos, now uses Flash video, so it works on any computer with Flash 7 or higher installed. The last time I visited Google Video, this random video about skydiving showed up. Looks like fun.

Finally, an excuse to link to iTunes
Is there something wrong with me if I have Heat of the Moment by Asia playing ad infinitum on my computer?

And then just to cater to the pop audience, I think it's funny that NBC is putting Kanye West on live TV again. I suppose with SNL doesn't really mind what happens, as long as it gives them more attention. Steve Carell, who is awesome, is hosting the season premiere, so it should be good. I just found out that he went to Denison. I thought this was cool until I realized that he probably went there 10 years after Haynie had graduated.

Coming this Tuesday
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (the Family Guy movie) will be released on Tuesday, and you can pre-order it on Amazon.com. If you have a PSP, you can be entertained anywhere with the UMD Mini version.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

What's Going On Here?
Yesterday, I walked outside to find that all of the cars in front of my apartment building had been removed and the sidewalk was closed. I'm glad I hadn't parked there, because I didn't notice any previous warnings about the upcoming activity, and probably would have been towed. Today, they had the two right lanes of the road closed, and were doing something on or near the buildings. Whatever they were doing involves a cherry-picker, buckets, and guys dressed in white coveralls. I was unable to figure out what they were doing even as I waited to cross the street and while taking a picture.


The remaining cars, outside of the next building down, were covered in plastic:


Another strange thing was that a sign which had been removed weeks ago suddenly reappeared, lying on the sidewalk in its previous condition.


When I returned, the workers were still there, but I was still unable to observe them actually doing anything, even after walking past it two more times while going to the deli, and watching from my window.

My First Lecture
I was recently invited by the university to give a lecture on the use of multimedia in communication, as part of a weekend lecture series sponsored by SPSBE. I agreed, with the caveat that it must begin sometime after noon. I got 2:00, so that wasn't bad. The large auditorium, ornate compared to what I'm used to for my film classes, features velvet curtains and paintings of people who look like they were in The Godfather.


There was one more feature of the auditorium that I noticed after entering further—a balcony. I couldn't pass on the opportunity to lecture from there, so up I went.


The balcony stunt got a laugh, so it was a good way to comfortably ease into my talk, all of which I did from above. Gotta keep the students in their place, you know? My extreme altitude also helped to take attention away from the fact that I was giving a lecture at Johns Hopkins while wearing a Late Show with David Letterman t-shirt. I was told that it was a very casual event and that the fact it was being given by an undergraduate was part of the appeal of the program. Still, I felt a bit underdressed, especially since I forgot to work in the point about how I was showing what not to wear, even if one is giving a presentation in which the audience mostly watches a screen.


I don't know exactly I was saying here or why I looked so angry, but it's a funny picture. I might have been saying something about the danger of writing a presentation based on a slideshow driven by PowerPoint or other applications.


After taking questions, I went downstairs and talked to some of the attendees individually. While attempting to illustrate a point about information overload in a visual aid, I was able to incorporate my "MW" monogram into some foreign writing that was already on the board.


Overall, I really enjoyed the attention, the balcony, and of course the chance to help some people out with multimedia in communication. I thank Hopkins for letting me speak, and would definitely do it again. Next time I won't wear a t-shirt.

Special thanks to Bill for sitting through the lecture and taking the pictures of me.

My First Lecture P.S.
If anyone reading this attended and has more pictures, questions, or comments, please email me. Thanks.

HOTW Podcast: It's really coming. And it's really funny.
The HOTW podcast is now in preproduction, and will begin recording after a few technical issues are worked out and one of the voice artists recovers from a sore throat. The episodes will most likely be short; about two minutes in length, and released about three times a week.

New Business Opportunity
4:26:10 PM eightman1984: i have decided to start an oil company, would you like to be involved in some capacity?
4:27:52 PM skierwysz: sure, in the capacity that i get billions of dollars for doing nothing
4:27:58 PM eightman1984: yeah
4:28:19 PM eightman1984: exxonmobile made 21 billion dollars last year
4:28:36 PM skierwysz: wow, that's more than my website made
4:28:56 PM eightman1984: yeah, and their net worth is 320 billion dollars
4:29:06 PM skierwysz: i would like that
4:29:16 PM eightman1984: me too
4:29:25 PM eightman1984: now we just need to find oil
4:29:58 PM skierwysz: hmm
4:30:08 PM skierwysz: well if i see any, i'll let you know
4:30:14 PM eightman1984: ok
4:30:16 PM eightman1984: i will do the same
4:30:21 PM skierwysz: awesome
4:30:24 PM skierwysz: this is going to be great
4:30:30 PM eightman1984: what should we call this company
4:30:37 PM skierwysz: oilco?
4:30:44 PM eightman1984: oh thats good
4:30:57 PM eightman1984: i'm actually really suprised it hasn't been taking yet
4:30:58 PM skierwysz: or maybe something environmentally friendly
4:31:07 PM skierwysz: eco-oil
4:31:18 PM skierwysz: ecoil
4:31:29 PM eightman1984: to search for oil, i'm going to fire a pistol into the ground, i figure i will hit something eventually
4:32:10 PM skierwysz: in my marketing class we watched this video about a company that wants to solve the pollution problem caused by coal-driven power plants by burning trees
4:32:22 PM eightman1984: haha i like that logic
4:32:40 PM eightman1984: too many trees around here, we should burn them
4:32:48 PM skierwysz: yeah, the guy was like "most people believe me if i spend enough time with them"

The Beginning of the End
10:01:06 PM eightman1984: i think my ipod might be self aware
10:01:19 PM skierwysz: destroy it immediately
10:01:41 PM eightman1984: haha ok before it takes over our governments defense computers?
10:01:49 PM skierwysz: no, you do not know how to properly dispose of it, give it to me
10:01:55 PM skierwysz: yes

Friday, September 23, 2005

The Power of Spotlight + Greed
I just changed all of my links to iTunes in Wysz's Thoughts v.Awesome to use my affiliate links. It took a while. I sure could have used these when I got Slashdotted and dug, but whatever.

More content on Internet Archive
I've added four films that I created for "Lost and Found Film" to the Internet Archive, located at archive.org. If you have a chance, please write a quick review for any of the following:
Atomic Vignettes
tchotchke
Filmstrip (Part 3)
Another Look

You can find all of my contributions to the Moving Images archive here.

Life imitates satire
On Wednesday, September 7th, the Onion Radio News ran a story called "Cocky Attempt To Operate ATM In Spanish Backfires" about a man who is unable to withdraw cash during an ATM session after selecting the Spanish language option.

Tonight, I drove up to a touch-screen Bank of America ATM, because there isn't a Commerce location down here and I wasn't close to a Wawa either. The first menu asked me to choose a language, and my finger hit the screen while on its way up to English, throwing the ATM into Spanish with my card inside. My first instinct was to try and start over, but there was no obvious "back" button, as I suppose they don't count on people changing their mind as to which language they prefer.

So, I bravely went on to use my six years and one semester's worth of knowledge gained from Spanish class for the second time in a real-world situation. The first time I used Spanish was in the Madrid airport. The security officer asked me, "¿Habla español?" I admitted, "No," so she asked, "¿Habla inglés?" I told her, "Sí. Yes," and the rest of our conversation was in English.

I was able to tell the automated teller that I wanted to make a withdrawal from my checking account:


Feeling confident, I even chose to withdraw in the form of an otra cantidad instead of a preset amount. I always feel compelled to do stuff like this with anything electronic when I have the chance to avoid a template or preset. The final screen was a bit confusing, and I'm still not sure what it was asking, but I think that I was specifying whether or not I wanted a receipt. I did want one, and after showing a screen that I'm pretty sure indicated that the receipt wasn't able to be printed, one came out along with my card. The receipt was also in Spanish:

Nice surprise
I've been accepted into the iTunes Affiliate Program. There should be a link to iTunes somewhere in "Beyond the Blog" to your right, so click on that before you buy a song. Or an album. Or 20 albums and a $200 gift certificate. Thanks.

Oh, and if you are so kind and actually do as I've ordered, send me a quick email and let me know which link you clicked and when, so I know that I'm doing this right. Thanks.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Steve Sneezes!
I know that sometimes it looks like Apple fans will report any little thing that Apple does, but that's just how we roll, so deal.

Apple has this page on podcasting, even though "podcasting" and "podcast" were not in Tiger's dictionary until I added them manually. At the bottom of the page, they link to a command-line application for inserting chapter markers, pictures, and links into podcasts. First of all, it's kind of weird that Apple would distribute a command-line application to people reading about using GarageBand for podcasts. I thought that they would make a more comprehensive tool that creates a full iTunes-friendly RSS feed. Perhaps that will come in a later version of GarageBand or other utility.

The reason I'm blogging this is because Chapter Tool is hosted on .Mac, which is odd. Here's the URL: http://homepage.mac.com/applepodcast/podcasts/Resources/static/podcast_chapter_tool_beta.dmg

I couldn't find any other content on the applepodcast homepage, except for a blank "Archival Menu" template. I logged into the Public folder of applepodcast's iDisk, and found 1.4 GB available, so Apple must have splurged for the extra gig of storage. Hopefully they've also upgraded spam's storage as well.

Overheard from the other room
Bill is singing right now and it's really funny.

First Adium-powered quote
8:11:50 PM whiny: my building's water is out!
8:12:02 PM skierwysz: they ran out of water?
8:12:13 PM whiny: they broke the water mane
8:12:55 PM skierwysz: mane?
8:13:12 PM whiny: the water mane
8:13:21 PM skierwysz: you are illiterate
8:13:24 PM whiny: like, a big pipe undergound
8:13:28 PM whiny: undergroud
8:13:31 PM skierwysz: like, a water main?
8:13:46 PM whiny: i honestly don't know how it's spelled, as it's never happened to me before
8:13:59 PM whiny: i've never had to spell it out
8:14:10 PM skierwysz: i'm awesome
8:14:16 PM skierwysz: i've had to spell that out a lot
8:14:31 PM whiny: i figured i had a 50/50 chance of getting the right m-aine/ane
8:14:32 PM whiny: word
8:15:21 PM skierwysz: well you shouldn't take such risks when talking to the wysz, who is notorious for blogging just about everything
8:15:43 PM whiny: i would rather you not blog it
8:15:45 PM whiny: in fact

French Person
8:30:05 PM skierwysz: aren't you some sort of literary major?
8:31:14 PM frenchperson: bon, tu veux que je parle français et t'insulte comme ça?
8:33:20 PM skierwysz: Yes, I want that you speak French and insult me like this, becase that I am out of rubber and you are adhesive, and that who you say rebounds except function of me and of the sticks to you. Even in French.

Researching a single word for the previous entry's abstract
10:04:48 PM skierwysz: hey hey hey you are an english major, right?
10:04:54 PM mohak: yup
10:04:58 PM skierwysz: YAHOO
10:05:14 PM skierwysz: i have a very very important question for you
10:05:16 PM skierwysz: how do you spell the sound that you make when you sneeze?
10:05:54 PM mohak: hmm
10:05:59 PM skierwysz: oh come on
10:06:02 PM skierwysz: don't disappoint me
10:06:14 PM skierwysz: look it up in a book or something
10:06:15 PM mohak: well i'm trying to figure if there's a hyphen
10:06:20 PM skierwysz: ah
10:06:25 PM mohak: why are you asking
10:06:33 PM mohak: and why aren't you looking it up in a book
10:06:39 PM skierwysz: i don't do books
10:06:43 PM skierwysz: it's for a blog entry
10:08:33 PM mohak: since when were you worried about typos
10:09:00 PM skierwysz: it would be a misspelling, not a typo
10:09:20 PM mohak: i believe it's achoo
10:09:46 PM skierwysz: then why can't i find it in the dictionary
10:10:08 PM mohak: well people sneeze in different ways
10:10:14 PM mohak: but if you google it it comes up
10:10:31 PM skierwysz: yeah but if you google lots of things they come up
10:10:35 PM skierwysz: like mispelling
10:10:52 PM mohak: you asked me for achoo
10:11:04 PM skierwysz: i didn't ask you to google it
10:11:24 PM mohak: it backed up my hypothesis
10:11:55 PM mohak: it was either a-choo or achoo
10:12:00 PM skierwysz: so if i had the hypothesis that "mispelling" is a correct spelling, then it would be proven correct by google?
10:12:11 PM mohak: ugh
10:12:41 PM skierwysz: i'm sorry to have bothered you, ma'am.
10:12:45 PM mohak: haahaha
10:13:16 PM mohak: i hope you figured out what the right spelling of achoo is
10:14:57 PM skierwysz: i haven't, i'm trying to see if it's been in any reputable books
10:15:05 PM mohak: are you going around and asking lit majors how to spell achoo?
10:15:30 PM skierwysz: well i'm certainly not going to ask leah
10:15:46 PM mohak: why
10:15:54 PM skierwysz: she cannot spell
10:16:10 PM mohak: is she "whiny"
10:16:34 PM mohak: or "frenchperson"
10:17:22 PM skierwysz: both
10:17:49 PM mohak: hahahhahhahaa
10:19:15 PM mohak: did she request being changed to "whiny" and 'frenchperson" instead of her sn
10:19:41 PM skierwysz: well she wanted the whole entry deleted
10:19:49 PM skierwysz: but deleting a blog entry is very taboo
10:20:09 PM skierwysz: and i'm not into anything taboo
10:20:16 PM skierwysz: except for the game
10:21:45 PM mohak: you know, you can be clever sometimess
10:22:12 PM skierwysz: and look where that's got me
10:29:11 PM mohak: i don't know where that's got you
10:29:28 PM skierwysz: umm, right here?
10:29:32 PM skierwysz: sitting at a computer
10:29:36 PM skierwysz: in a spinny chair
10:29:40 PM mohak: that was not clever
10:29:54 PM skierwysz: i know
10:29:57 PM skierwysz: i was on a roll
10:30:04 PM skierwysz: but i totally lost my momentum
10:31:38 PM mohak: too bad
10:31:43 PM mohak: better luck next time
10:31:46 PM mohak: ok i'm off to work
10:32:38 PM skierwysz: bye, i'm not off, because tomorrow is friday, and i have no classes, and i'm awesome.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Ughghghghh. But seriously, buy it from Amazon. $22 off.
I finally got the chance to refer someone to .Mac, and they've cancelled the referral program. Also, I can't sign into iChat using my .Mac name. Ugh.

I am enjoying my larger iDisk, however. Buy .Mac from Amazon.com, even though it doesn't really make sense to have the retail box. If you don't want to download Backup, then the box is good, but they're not shipping Backup 3 yet, so I guess the only reason to buy it from Amazon would be if you wanted to wrap it up and give it as a gift. Or maybe Amazon.com has it cheaper. Or maybe you have a gift certificate. I dunno.

Oh, I know! I just clicked on the link, and it looks like you can get it from Amazon for 78 bucks (add it to your cart to see the price), at least as of this writing. That's actually pretty good, and I'm not just saying it because I want my referral fee. Apple is selling it for $99, but they don't get a link because I'm not an Apple Store affiliate.

One more link, then I'll leave you alone until the next sales pitch: You can get $30 off the Family Pack at Amazon.com. It's $150 over there instead of the usual $180.

Obviously, make sure you check the prices before placing your order. As of this writing, both the single client and the Family Pack versions qualify for free shipping. This is the third paragraph in a row starting with the letter "O." That rhymed. I'm awesome.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Free Software
Opera (a web browser) is now free from a price tag and ads. I've only been playing with it for a few weeks, so I don't have much to say about it, but it's free, so why not give it a try? It's available for Mac and Windows, as well as many other operating systems.

Quick!
Someone make a GPA calculation widget!

Monday, September 19, 2005

.Mac Status
The .Mac home page is redirecting to the maintenance page. System status from .Mac Support still shows all services as being online, and I can access my iDisk, website, and email. Let's see what happens when the home page returns.

Update:
iBlog can't connect to my iDisk right now, so you won't see this until after the maintenance is complete. I can still access my iDisk via the Finder, even if I disconnect it and sign back in.

Update again:
Obviously, iBlog was able to connect. Still no signs of an update, and the maintenance page remains.

Updating again again:
I tried to visit this entry, and found this: 404'd! Also, the support page now indicates that the system is down, yo.

One more thing
What's FTP got to do with anything? That would be convenient and fast. And insecure.

.Mac System Maintenance Tonight; .Mac upgrade ready tomorrow
HOTW may be unavailable between 10 PM and 2 AM EST, starting today, September 19, 2005, due to scheduled maintenance of .Mac. It's a little odd that they are doing it during the week and not in the middle of the night (for PST), so I'm hoping that this is related to a .Mac upgrade to be ready for tomorrow, when the Apple Expo in Paris begins. The maintenance is scheduled to be completed by 8 AM Paris local time on Tuesday.

From the .Mac home page:
.Mac will be undergoing scheduled maintenance from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm PST on 9/19/05. All .Mac services will be affected. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Last Updated: 9/14/05

If they upgrade, and you think it's worth the price, buy it.

Podcast Comin' Up
Ok kids, I gotta do some work, and then I'm at class all day, but this .Mac upgrade is exciting. I'm gonna see if I can get a podcast going by this weekend. And maybe I'll do some more video features. We'll see. In the meantime, head to Amazon.com and order your copy of .Mac. Maybe you should even get a family pack. They'll probably have an outdated description and an old retail box, but trust me, it's the same service. A gig of storage and the pure convenience of Backup and iDisk makes it totally worth it. For real, this time.

Oh, and pictures are here. I momentarily felt stupid for putting so much time into getting my pictures on Flickr, but then I realized that I've already surpassed a gig on there, and it's so easy to use, so yay Flickr. I just typed "yay," so I'm gonna stop right now. Remember to check back for the podcast. It's gonna break the "pick a topic and stick with it" rule and be about nothing. Like my website. I'm awesome. It will be about awesome.

Backup 3, 1 GB of Storage (Woo-hoo!)
Finally, finally, finally, a worthwhile .Mac upgrade. Expect more video content and possibly a podcast right here on HOTW thanks to the new storage. I'm also really excited about Backup 3. This is awesome. Catch you later; I gotta check this stuff out.

Home Café One-Cup Coffeemaker
My two favorite items from the "IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS" (INSTRUCCIONES IMPORTANTES DE SEGURIDAD) section of the instructions:
• Read all instructions. (Lea todas las instrucciones.)
• Do not place on or near a hot gas or electric burner, or in a heated oven. (No coloque el aparato sobre una hornilla eléctrica o de gas caliente, o en un horno caliente.)

I'd like to know the details of the lawsuit that prompted the warning about placing a coffee maker in an oven. It could bring a sequel to "Foolproof." I could also include cut jokes about endless features that are only available in the "deluxe" model.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

No thanks
Michael Wyszomierski: i have two monitors
Bill Speier: I have a bottle of gin
Bill Speier: want to trade?
Michael Wyszomierski: no thaks
Michael Wyszomierski: tnaks
Michael Wyszomierski: taks
Michael Wyszomierski: thnother
Michael Wyszomierski: tnotinst
Michael Wyszomierski: nothaks
Michael Wyszomierski: no thanks

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Playing the rumor game - iTunes Movie Store
You may have been seeing some stories going around the net about the www.apple.com/movies URL yielding a 403 (Forbidden) error instead of Apple's 404 (Page Not Found) page. I've found blog entries about it dating back to March, so this isn't exactly new.

Here's what I've found in my 4.5 minutes of research:
Some media files for some of Apple's QuickTime content, such as movie trailers and the HD Gallery, are contained in the following directories:
movies.apple.com/movies/
images.apple.com/movies/

Going to the root of each of the directories usually results in a redirect to www.apple.com/trailers/, but I found that a few times movies.apple.com/movies/ actually redirected me to the mysterious www.apple.com/movies/, 403 error and all. And that's all I know.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Right after I published the previous entry...
Something I want to try
The next time somebody says "You're welcome" to me, I want to respond with "No, you're welcome." It works as a positive statement with the "thank you" thing, and I want to see if it has an opposite effect with the "welcome" thing.

I just read what I wrote, and I'm starting to agree with those who tell me I should sleep more.

Shout out to my peeps at ASU. Holla back.

In search of Jack Miller
As the Apple Turns has been lacking updates for a while, but that is all part of the AtAT mystique and is nothing to worry about. However, the site has now gone offline. I was of course disappointed by my inability to view classic AtAT episodes, but I was also worried that something had happened to Jack. I did some research online using my master stalking skills, and I am pleased to report that Jack Miller is indeed alive and well as of Tuesday. I am posting this so anyone else concerned for his well-being can hopefully find this post through a simple web search.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

People Watching
Why do some students do that thing where they raise their hands when the professor is looking somewhere else in the room, take their hands down as the professor looks towards them, and then put them back up when the professor looks away? Is it a game? Maybe I'll try it tomorrow.

Google Blog Search
Having trouble finding that classic WTv.A entry? Well, your troubles are over now that Google has launched Google Blog Search. Okay, so they haven't really launched it, but I'm told that they will within minutes. You now have instant Google-powered searches to bring you right to such awesome entries as the one with the picture of "The Wysz" in the phone book and the entry I posted when I got an email from someone in Napoleon Dynamite. All this right at your fingertips without wading through Polish non-blog material and a mentions of a radio station in Toledo that come up when you include the term "Wysz" in a search.

First laundry complaint of the semester
They raised the dryer price to $1.50 per 45 minutes. I just went through about 18,000 quarters.

I am an idiot
The following just occurred in the elevator:

Beth: Have we met before? I feel like we've met but I can't remember.
Me: I think so.
Beth: What's your name again?
Me: Michael.
Beth: Okay, I'm Beth.
Me: Where do you live?
Beth: Next door to you.

I may be an idiot, but Ted is a moron.
Ted Skuchas: where is my sn
Ted Skuchas: on the site
Michael Wyszomierski: i told you several times that it is not on there
Ted Skuchas: oh
Ted Skuchas: i thought you said it was
Ted Skuchas: my bad
1:10 AM
Michael Wyszomierski: Michael Wyszomierski: your screen name isn't on the ted's tyrants page
Ted Skuchas: it is?
Michael Wyszomierski: is not
Ted Skuchas: f***

Ted Skuchas: i don't want to change my sn
Michael Wyszomierski: it's not on ted's tyrants
Ted Skuchas: haha
Ted Skuchas: i am a moron you know that
Michael Wyszomierski: yes
Michael Wyszomierski: yes i am very aware of that and have been for years
Ted Skuchas: thanks

Monday, September 12, 2005

.Mac upgrade... Another sign that it's coming. Sometime.
Apple has just launched a "How do you use .Mac?" page on their website, with a link to the survey on their Hot News page. Similar to the Switch campaign, which asked for stories about how new Mac users made the switch, the "Share your story" .Mac survey asks current users how they use the service and what they like about it. The survey has a few typos that I noticed. Let me know if you find any that I missed.

Hopefully, this means that Apple is preparing to launch a new marketing campaign for .Mac, which would logically coincide with an overdue upgrade to the suite of Internet services. (I need more storage!) Think Secret has been reporting on the imminent upgrade, so head there if you want some rumors/details about the matter.

In other .Mac-related news, pages hosted by .Mac, including Home of the Wysz (that's what you're on now), have been loading slowly for the past few days. Even the famous http://homepage.mac.com/steve/ has been affected. This has been reproduced with a variety of ISPs and occurs intermittently. I'm assuming that this is a temporary issue, and Apple will get it sorted out soon. I have informed .Mac Support of the issue.

Speaking of .Mac, I really think you should but it. You can buy a single user subscription, or a family pack!

iPod nano in 1984
The iPod nano commercial reminded me of the Macintosh introduction video, so I made this. I kept a black background to make them blend together better, but the bad keying job is due to the fact that I'm very busy right now. The footage and audio comes from clips that are copyrighted by Apple Computer, but this is just a fan video, so um, yeah. The first song, from the iPod nano commercial, is "Gimme That," available on the iTMS. More music from Apple commercials and events is available over at the extensive Apple Tunes iMix.

Dvorak Uncensored—Censored!
John C. "I get no spam" Dvorak's blog, which, in case you don't listen to TWiT, is located at dvorak.org/blog, has been thrown into the "Sex" category by Websense, and is therefore blocked at many major companies which use Websense's web filtering services.

Dvorak's blog, called "Dvorak Uncensored," is about nerdy non-sexual topics such as the iTunes phone and chicken-flavored MSG. I'm guessing that the word "uncensored" is what got him blacklisted, but the fact that this was done by a computer with what appears to be such a simple algorithm, makes Websense look stupid and not worth the price. Once one of my friends, who was at BYU for the summer, was unable to visit a Bush/Monkey website because it had been blocked by Websense, which is used by BYU. However, she was able to view this picture that I posted on Flickr featuring a man who has a tail. Go figure.

If you want to tell Websense that their promise of sex on dvorak.org is completely false, contact them here or here.

Heard in Class at The Johns Hopkins University
After it's established that The "Orient" comes from an older meaning of the word, which is "east," trying to illustrate that it relies on the assumption of Europe being normal:
Instructor: East of what?
Student: The Middle East?

Later, after showing a silent film. Note that this is a 300-level film course:
Student: It's like a book with visuals in between!
Instructor: Yes, it's a silent film and those are called inter-titles.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

"Foolproof" on the Internet Archive
My film, "Foolproof," is now available for download and streaming at the Internet Archive. I would appreciate it if you would stop by and give it a review.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

14
That's the number of emails I received from Hopkins this weekend.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Just how small is the iPod nano?
I went to the Apple Store in Towson Town Center today to see the iPod nano in person. It had just arrived, so they didn't even have it tethered to a display yet, and I really got to get a feel for how it felt. The smaller click wheel was surprisingly easy to use. At first, I held the nano with two hands to steady the device while scrolling around, but I was able to find a comfortable and stable one-handed position after only a few seconds.

Functionally, the nano does everything that my iPod photo does and more; it just has a lower capacity. It features the standard dock connector and a standard headphone jack. Scrolling through the photos was refreshing, as they load a little faster in the thumbnail view, and I don't have to wait for a hard drive to spin up. I can actually feel the drive working in my iPod photo. The screen, a backlit color display, has a very nice resolution, and even at the small size, the text is easy to read and menus are easy to navigate. It works just like the iPod you're used to, so it just feels natural. Of course, once you glance beyond the screen, there is that recurring shock at seeing just how small it is.

All the pictures I've seen so far compare the nano to pencils and other iPods, but I was still having trouble getting a sense of scale, so I brought some commonly known objects of uniform size to the store, and they were nice enough to let me play around with the nano and snap some pictures. Click on a picture to view it full size and to leave comments via Flickr:




At Towson, they had every model in stock except for one (I forget which is was), and the sales guy told me that they had sold "a bunch" of them, and he got the honor of selling the first one at their store. You can learn more about the iPod nano on Apple's website, where you can also order one direct from the Apple Store with free custom engraving. (Brendan, did you notice they have a real-time generator just like you?) Or, if you're an Amazon.com kind of person and don't need engraving, they's gots them nanos too!

Permalink this, iBlog!
Just trying to figure out an odd little glitch or bug...

First day of school. Again.
Ughghghghghghghhhhghghhghghhghghghhhhhhhhhhhhh, it's the first day of classes. Ughhggghghghghghghghhghghghghghgh. People who get excited about the first day of school obviously cannot remember what happens after the first day of school. Ugghghhghghghghghhhghghhhh. Homework: ugh. Projects: ugh. Papers: ughgh. Midterms: ughghgh. Finals: ughghghhghghgghgghhhh.

Anyone know if Cognitive Science is, um, hard? I'm taking "Language and Mind," at least as of now. Ughgh. And I'm taking "What is Engineering?" which, according to the course evaluation, includes a "bridge building project." Ugh, I already built a bridge in my backyard when I was about 10 years old, and I don't think I need to make another one. Ughghghghghghgh, I'm taking the maximum number of credits allowed by law. Ugh. If you go to Hopkins and are reading this, get on Facebook, look at my courses, and let me know which ones could involve work. Ughh, I wonder if it is wise to accept advice from people who would read this. Eh, ugh, whatever.

For the record, I have not yet signed up for "Computer Fluency," as it could involve stuff like spreadsheets. Or viruses. Ugh. Now if it had the un-spreadsheet...

Ughghghghghghhh. Again.
Whoops, I forgot that I have to go to the bookstore. I don't really have much to complain about at this point, as I haven't gone yet, but I know there'll be something there to make me mad.

Unfair!
Isn't it common knowledge that on the first day of class, you're not supposed to meet for more than 15 minutes? I had a three-hour class today that met for the full period, which included reviewing almost every page of the 15-page syllabus.

Despite this horrid mistake, I think it might actually be an interesting and useful course.

Class postponed... Until 2006.
Received this at 9:17 PM tonight, after the registrar's computer went to sleep:

This email is to inform you that your technical
direction for the theater course has been postponed
until the spring semester. There is no class tomorrow.
The Theater Department apologizes for any
inconvenience this change has caused you. If you have
any questions, please contact Professor John Astin.

Thank you,
Johns Hopkins University Theatre

This means that:
1. I could have gone home tonight.
2. There was no reason to turn down a movie invitation tonight. A movie invitation that didn't even involve me driving.
3. I need to find another 3-credit course that fits into my schedule, and I'm pretty sure there aren't any.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

NerdTV
Just downloaded the first episode. If you're a nerd, check it out.

iPod Nano Reaction: Ted and Blake
Michael Wyszomierski: you see the nano?
Ted Skuchas: nano?
Michael Wyszomierski: ipod nano, apple.com
Ted Skuchas: what
Ted Skuchas: hold on
Michael Wyszomierski: i'm going to the apple store as soon as they have them, i need to see one in person
Ted Skuchas: HOLY ****
Michael Wyszomierski: yeah it is tiny
Ted Skuchas: OH MY GOD
Ted Skuchas: that is gorgeous
Ted Skuchas: is it flash or movable drive
Michael Wyszomierski: flash
5:25 PM
Ted Skuchas: wow
Michael Wyszomierski: yep, it does everything the photo does, just smaller capacity
Michael Wyszomierski: even has the standard dock connector, so you can use all the ipod accessories
Ted Skuchas: i know
Ted Skuchas: they give you a dock with it too
Michael Wyszomierski: no, it is $29 extra for dock
Ted Skuchas: really
Ted Skuchas: ohhh dock adapter
Michael Wyszomierski: yeah "dock connector" isn't the dock, it just means it has the standard ipod connector at the bottom
Ted Skuchas: i read it wrong
Michael Wyszomierski: yeah i did too at first
Michael Wyszomierski: i am as dumb as ted
Ted Skuchas: haha
Ted Skuchas: YES

Michael Wyszomierski: buy me 5 ipod nanos pronto
9:15 PM
Blake Mattern: whats an iPod nano?
Michael Wyszomierski: apple.com
Blake Mattern: WOW!!!!!
Michael Wyszomierski: yep
Blake Mattern: i wonder what the battery life is?
Michael Wyszomierski: 14hrs
Blake Mattern: did they kill the mini?
Michael Wyszomierski: yep
Blake Mattern: and the regular iPod is now photo
Michael Wyszomierski: yes but it has been like that for a while
Blake Mattern: oh, i didnt know
Michael Wyszomierski: i did
Blake Mattern: can't you buy a mini anywhere?
Michael Wyszomierski: i'm sure they're still in stock somewhere, they were just discontinued today
Blake Mattern: ic ic

Now that you know both Blake and Ted approve, get clicking and buy one! The Apple Store in Towson doesn't have them in yet, but as soon as they do, I'll try to get out and take some pictures of it next to common objects so you can see how tiny it really is.

A New HOTW Statistic
Evan Vanderveer: i have officially decided your website is by far the best on the internet
Michael Wyszomierski: haha well it is good for distractions
Evan Vanderveer: it's hilarious
Michael Wyszomierski: i am responsible for $8.2 billion in lost productivity annually

Quoted!
Can you spot my words in the 2005 ACE Guide? (PDF) I even use a pun!

Oh, and it's totally unfair that Criminal Justice & Corrections (taught by Stephen Harris) wasn't listed. He or his goon T.A. probably confiscated the evaluations and didn't turn them in. Don't take this course.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Another Trip to Baltimore with no SmartDeck
I still don't have my SmartDeck, so I emailed Griffin again.

Response from Griffin Tech Support:

We are experiencing last minute production delays with the SmartDeck.

We are doing our best to resolve the issue and to get them out as soon as
possible.

Thank you again for your patience and keep in mind that we will not bill
your credit card until we have your order in hand ready to ship out.

iTMS-Related Update Tomorrow
The iTunes Music Store has yet to see its complete weekly update, which usually happens early Tuesday morning. This might mean that all the mobile stuff actually goes live tomorrow instead of just being announced. In the past, such a delay has preceded events such as the availability of videos for download in the iTunes Music Store.

Monday, September 05, 2005

Now Seeking Employment
I'm just about to begin my Senior year in college, and that means I'm going to be looking for a job. So, just in case someone out there is reading this and wants to hire a blogger (or video editor, if you think that would be more useful), I'm posting my résumé right here. You can't have me until after I graduate in May 2006, but until then, let's talk. Just send me an email and say, "Wysz, we need to talk." Well, don't say it, you should probably actually type it in the email.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

The Hunger
The other night, I almost stopped at McDonald's so I would have something to eat on my way to Wawa. But I didn't.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Re: Kayne West's Telethon Appearance
Admit it, your first thought was the same as mine: "Gee, we haven't seen Mike Myers in a while. Has he been in anything recently?"

Seriously, kids, you should hit up the American Red Cross, United Way, or Salvation Army with a donation. To help alleviate the high volume of traffic on the Red Cross website, consider donating to the Red Cross via Yahoo! or MSN. These sites should have a much shorter waiting time than the Red Cross website. MSN and Yahoo! are providing these pages to the Red Cross for free, and 100% of your donation will go to the Red Cross.

For your convenience, you can also give to the Red Cross using your Amazon.com or iTunes Music Store account.

Re: Mike Myers
Sprockets! With Dieter! On Saturday Night Live - The Best of Mike Myers! Come on, you know you want it. Still not convinced? Just imagine Peter saying "Come on!" to Congress in Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington, conveniently located in Family Guy Volume 2!

Friday, September 02, 2005

Evan has a blog.
It's over here. Please leave a comment and let him know that I sent you.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Zwerpla is not a word!
That's enough !-themed titles for my entries. Keep it real, kids.

I'm shocked!
It's September 1st, and my Griffin SmartDeck is still on pre-order. Here's what's happened so far:

April 13
I pre-ordered a SmartDeck from Griffin Technology. The website stated that the product is expected to ship in the second quarter of the year.

May 19
Griffin reassured me that the SmartDeck will ship in the 2nd Quarter of 2005.

July 5
Griffin promised shipment by the end of July.

July 27
I noticed that the SmartDeck web page had been updated.

August 1
Griffin told me that the SmartDeck would ship in mid to late August.

I'm awesome!
If you were the one who used my email address to get a free copy of Opera, that ain't cool, man.

I'm unconscious!
For the first time this week (I think), I'm going to bed at a (somewhat) reasonable hour. For me, this means "before 2."

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