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Saturday, April 29, 2006
Random Mac Advice
It's almost 5
Ok, so now it is 5. 5:03, actually.
Random Site
Creative.Agency
Advice?
Vocal Chords
5
Friday, April 28, 2006
Double
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Wardrobe "Prescription"
HoTW Issues Press Release
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Cool Apple Patent
Insulted by a Computer
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Are you serious?
Monday, April 24, 2006
11:24
And now it's 11:26.
Leopard to Support Windows, Drop iTunes
John Stowe: what's missing from the zoomed-in photo?
Michael Wyszomierski: mac requirements
John Stowe: maybe they figure mac users wouldn't bother looking at the requirements
John Stowe: they'd just assume it works
Michael Wyszomierski: yeah we are used to ignoring such things
John Stowe: or maybe they are dropping support for iTMS in their next Mac update!
Michael Wyszomierski: rumor!!!!
John Stowe: OMG!!!!!!!!!1!!!!one1!!
iBlog/.Mac issues
NAB
Boring Quote
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Talent
Automata: The Saga Continues
Have I Forgotten How To Blog?
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Imagine the Possibilities
Friday, April 21, 2006
The Return
So, about Spring Fair...
Monday, April 10, 2006
RDF Revealed
Saturday, April 08, 2006
"Rabid Film Theorist"
Apple's 30th Anniversary: 15 Billion Years in the Making
Friday, April 07, 2006
Robot Monkeys on iTunes
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Microsoft?
No More Excuses.
Apple: "Fine, but don't say we didn't warn you."
Ridiculous
What would I do without Blake?
Blake (cont.)
Unbelievable
Come on people
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Compliment Sandwich
AOL to shut down free Instant messaging service, World Expected to Panic, Possible Martial Law
Just for kicks
I'm watching you...
2 Important Birthdays
Earlier this morning
Monday, April 03, 2006
CafePress ain't so bad after all
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Do not be afraid.
Happy April Fool's Day, kids.
I'm sleeping through most of the day. A nice side effect is that it will be harder for people to play tricks on me, since almost everyone would have to do it remotely, requiring my consciousness. The reason for my slumber is that I was up all night putting the finishing touches on a new store. I'm coming down like a monkey, but it's all right because it's finished, except for the CD which I'm waiting to hear back from Cafepress on. Thanks to John Young for the inspiration and Bill for the art. This is my best attempt at art.
Here's some Fool's stuff:
The Internet's phone number has been published! First Amazon's customer service number leaked to the general public, and now the Internet itself can be reached directly. No menus to navigate when they're open; you're automatically connected to a live person! Get the number here. I gave them a call to check out what was going on for April Fool's Day, but their April Fool's Committee was foolishly located in El Paso, where they do not have a sense of humor.
On Thursday, I finally was able to catch The Office on TV. During the commercial breaks, they had a couple great "The More You Know" parodies about office relationships. I was laughing out loud, and couldn't wait for someone to post them on the Internet. Well, the wait is over, as NBC has posted them on their site. And, the best part is, even though it's NBC, the videos work on a Mac!
Flickr got in the foolish spirit today... there seems to be something up with their interestingness algorithm. Go explore.
(Hint: It's weighted towards a certain tag. Just take a guess before you click.)
HomestarRunner.com is upside-down.
As usual, you can find a list of many of today's hoaxes over at Wikipedia.
Ughghhh. Monkeys.
Random Mac Advice
This is old news for geeks like me, but for you
casual Mac users out there, don't forget to install Flip4Mac. It's a
free program that will allow you to play a bunch of those Windows Media Player
videos on the Internet that don't always work. Just install it and forget about
it; it'll kick in automatically when needed.
It's almost 5
It's almost 5 AM and I'm still awake. Why can't I
ever get myself on a normal schedule for more than a
week?
And guess what song randomly started playing on my iPod as I began to write this entry. That's right, Insomnia. You know, the song with that catchy keyboard bit.
And guess what song randomly started playing on my iPod as I began to write this entry. That's right, Insomnia. You know, the song with that catchy keyboard bit.
Ok, so now it is 5. 5:03, actually.
Ummm, this is a pointless entry. Can you tell
it's a test?
I just don't delete my test entries. I'm awesome.
I just don't delete my test entries. I'm awesome.
Random Site
I've thought about linking to Gullible.info many times, but have
held off because the site wasn't working. Well, it's up as of this writing, so
here we are.
Creative.Agency
lowercase letters. sentence fragments. white
space.
quirky.
::::: dots. but where's the
flash intro?
Advice?
Does anyone know of a printing service (either
online or between Baltimore and Philly) that will print a single page on
newspaper-type paper in very small runs (less than 10)? If you do, please email me ASAP. I'd also be interested in
blank newspaper-type paper.
Vocal Chords
I feel like being charitable, so here's a free
plug for the upcoming Vocal
Chords "Step Sing" in the Breezeway. It's at 10:30 tonight, after the
All-Nighters concert.
5
After this weekend, I still have to go to class.
But only for a week. Five days. That's it.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Double
I've been told that there is another student here
who looks just like me. I was fine with this until recently when one person
thought that I was the other guy, and then told me that he's
creepy.
It's a good thing I'm almost out of here, but until then, just remember that the creepy guy who looks like me isn't me. If real life is anything like cartoons, my evil double is probably unshaven, like the criminal who looks like Ranger Smith.
It's a good thing I'm almost out of here, but until then, just remember that the creepy guy who looks like me isn't me. If real life is anything like cartoons, my evil double is probably unshaven, like the criminal who looks like Ranger Smith.
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Wardrobe "Prescription"
Yesterday, Germantown Academy, my Alma Mater,
prescribed
all Middle and Upper School students a new
dress code. Released under the brand name "GA Gear," the new code is
to be taken five times weekly beginning with the 2006-2007 school
year.
While the code does require all shirts to display the GA logo, The Academy did not follow my advice regarding corporate sponsorship. It's like throwing money down the drain. Speaking of money, I'm going to see about becoming an official GA uniform vendor and getting my Café B shirt added to the prescription.
Thanks to Evan for pointing me to this important GA news.
Updates:
It looks like the links to GA's site change from time to time, so if they point to random news items, please don't be confused.
Since the new "code" is actually a uniform* rather than a set of guidelines, I wonder if the faculty should be required to wear "GA Gear" as well. The reasoning behind the uniform is "to increase Germantown Academy's visible institutional identity..." "...provide one consistent look," and a bunch of that "community" stuff that they love to talk about, which is fine. But won't that image will break down when the teachers are visually indistinguishable from visitors?
As far as I know, the faculty has always had a dress code, perhaps unwritten, and life has gone on without major incidents. But when the students have an obviously more restricted appearance, we have two problems.
First, teachers often dress more casually than the uniform described on GA's website. It's a common convention that a leader, authority figure, or someone who is speaking publicly (even in a classroom), should be dressed a little more formally than the audience. This has generally been true at GA, as students tend to dress more casually than adults, so a button-down shirt, plus a tie (or equivalent for women) if you want to be really safe, easily does the trick. But if the students are suddenly held to what could be viewed as a higher standard than the average faculty member (polo shirts may be considered casual, but the GA logo makes a difference), then things won't look right.
But I'm sure the community will naturally adapt and teachers will dress more formally. I also realize that uniforms can also be viewed as "lower" than someone who dresses formally but out of uniform. However, I said there were two problems, which leads me to the second. The uniform creates a barrier, and barriers are not good things. One of the things that I liked about GA was how approachable the teachers were. This became more apparent when I went to college, and saw that very few students had any interaction with the professors before or after class. I was even mistaken for a T.A. by several people simply because they saw me talking to the professor outside of class discussions. But if people are constantly reminded that students and teachers are different, even if it is just the fact that students are forced to wear a uniform, I'm afraid GA will lose this unique attribute and teachers will become less accessible. This idea was explained to me by Lex Fenwick, CEO of Bloomberg L.P., last year when I visited their offices with a class. He showed us his name tag, which I believe simply said, "LEX,"** and pointed out that there was no indication of job position on the tag. While it probably doesn't apply to him as much since everyone there knows him, he explained that two people could meet in the hallway and share their thoughts about the company (or anything else) without one party feeling intimidated because he or she notices that the other is of a higher rank. If the badges did show rank, it would be less likely for a subordinate to even initiate a conversation with a superior in the first place. The same can be applied to students and teachers.
I've ranted a bit, but I hope what I said was coherent. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm right about any of this, nor do I even feel like I'm taking a side. So don't feel like you have to agree or disagree with me. It's just something to think about.
*All shirts are required to display the GA logo.
**Airport code for Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, KY.
While the code does require all shirts to display the GA logo, The Academy did not follow my advice regarding corporate sponsorship. It's like throwing money down the drain. Speaking of money, I'm going to see about becoming an official GA uniform vendor and getting my Café B shirt added to the prescription.
Thanks to Evan for pointing me to this important GA news.
Updates:
It looks like the links to GA's site change from time to time, so if they point to random news items, please don't be confused.
Since the new "code" is actually a uniform* rather than a set of guidelines, I wonder if the faculty should be required to wear "GA Gear" as well. The reasoning behind the uniform is "to increase Germantown Academy's visible institutional identity..." "...provide one consistent look," and a bunch of that "community" stuff that they love to talk about, which is fine. But won't that image will break down when the teachers are visually indistinguishable from visitors?
As far as I know, the faculty has always had a dress code, perhaps unwritten, and life has gone on without major incidents. But when the students have an obviously more restricted appearance, we have two problems.
First, teachers often dress more casually than the uniform described on GA's website. It's a common convention that a leader, authority figure, or someone who is speaking publicly (even in a classroom), should be dressed a little more formally than the audience. This has generally been true at GA, as students tend to dress more casually than adults, so a button-down shirt, plus a tie (or equivalent for women) if you want to be really safe, easily does the trick. But if the students are suddenly held to what could be viewed as a higher standard than the average faculty member (polo shirts may be considered casual, but the GA logo makes a difference), then things won't look right.
But I'm sure the community will naturally adapt and teachers will dress more formally. I also realize that uniforms can also be viewed as "lower" than someone who dresses formally but out of uniform. However, I said there were two problems, which leads me to the second. The uniform creates a barrier, and barriers are not good things. One of the things that I liked about GA was how approachable the teachers were. This became more apparent when I went to college, and saw that very few students had any interaction with the professors before or after class. I was even mistaken for a T.A. by several people simply because they saw me talking to the professor outside of class discussions. But if people are constantly reminded that students and teachers are different, even if it is just the fact that students are forced to wear a uniform, I'm afraid GA will lose this unique attribute and teachers will become less accessible. This idea was explained to me by Lex Fenwick, CEO of Bloomberg L.P., last year when I visited their offices with a class. He showed us his name tag, which I believe simply said, "LEX,"** and pointed out that there was no indication of job position on the tag. While it probably doesn't apply to him as much since everyone there knows him, he explained that two people could meet in the hallway and share their thoughts about the company (or anything else) without one party feeling intimidated because he or she notices that the other is of a higher rank. If the badges did show rank, it would be less likely for a subordinate to even initiate a conversation with a superior in the first place. The same can be applied to students and teachers.
I've ranted a bit, but I hope what I said was coherent. Honestly, I'm not sure if I'm right about any of this, nor do I even feel like I'm taking a side. So don't feel like you have to agree or disagree with me. It's just something to think about.
*All shirts are required to display the GA logo.
**Airport code for Blue Grass Airport, Lexington, KY.
HoTW Issues Press Release
So I had this kinda-funny idea for a blog entry.
I was going to write it as a press release about the press release. It would be
totally pointless and only refer to itself. You know, like "HoTW issued a press
release today announcing the immediate availability of its latest press release"
or something like that. Unfortunately, I don't really feel like taking the time
to write it. Use your imagination.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Cool Apple Patent
So I don't usually play
the
rumor
game
with my blog since there are already about 8,000 other blogs doing the same
thing, but I wanted to comment on an Apple patent that was mentioned today on
Engadget
and had been previously reported on MacRumors.
My first thought was, hasn't this been done before? I received about 10 forwarded emails about this technology in a single week back at the turn of the century when it became popular. I don't think I even had (or needed) a spam folder back then. Those were the days.
I just wonder if we'll ever get to see this technology in use. What ever happened to Chameleon?
My first thought was, hasn't this been done before? I received about 10 forwarded emails about this technology in a single week back at the turn of the century when it became popular. I don't think I even had (or needed) a spam folder back then. Those were the days.
I just wonder if we'll ever get to see this technology in use. What ever happened to Chameleon?
Insulted by a Computer
I just tried to send an email to a company asking
about a product, and the message was returned to me with this
error:
reason: 554 Sorry, message looks like SPAM to me
Now I need to think of a better way to word my message...
reason: 554 Sorry, message looks like SPAM to me
Now I need to think of a better way to word my message...
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Are you serious?
I just looked at the Academic
Calendar, and saw that the last day of classes is May 5th. That's next
Friday. I think that's pretty neat.
Monday, April 24, 2006
11:24
It's 11:24! Add the first two digits to get the
third, and add the first three to get the
fourth!
Math. Ugh.
Math. Ugh.
And now it's 11:26.
Add the first two digits to get the third. Add
the third plus the first three to get the fourth?
Leopard to Support Windows, Drop iTunes
John Stowe: what's missing from the zoomed-in photo?
Michael Wyszomierski: mac requirements
John Stowe: maybe they figure mac users wouldn't bother looking at the requirements
John Stowe: they'd just assume it works
Michael Wyszomierski: yeah we are used to ignoring such things
John Stowe: or maybe they are dropping support for iTMS in their next Mac update!
Michael Wyszomierski: rumor!!!!
John Stowe: OMG!!!!!!!!!1!!!!one1!!
iBlog/.Mac issues
Please ignore this post (or print it out and
frame it if you wish). I'm just trying to get this thing running again. Is it
working?
NAB
NAB2006 is up and running, and so
far we have a 17" MacBook
Pro from Apple. Let's see what else Apple (and others) have up their
sleeves.
Boring Quote
John Stowe:
speaking of
typos
John Stowe: we were practicing in Bloomberg last week
John Stowe: there were some physics notes on the chalkboards from the last class
John Stowe: they were discussing optics
John Stowe: in one spot it said:
John Stowe: h = object heigth
John Stowe: h' = image heigth
John Stowe: we were practicing in Bloomberg last week
John Stowe: there were some physics notes on the chalkboards from the last class
John Stowe: they were discussing optics
John Stowe: in one spot it said:
John Stowe: h = object heigth
John Stowe: h' = image heigth
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Talent
I can locate my house on Google Earth without displaying any
roads/borders/etc., because I'm awesome.
Automata: The Saga Continues
First the
song. (now his ringtone)
Then the dance. (offline)
And now....
A Facebook group dedicated to reminding Brendan to fulfill his final graduation requirement: Automata. If you go to Hopkins, join now.
Then the dance. (offline)
And now....
A Facebook group dedicated to reminding Brendan to fulfill his final graduation requirement: Automata. If you go to Hopkins, join now.
Have I Forgotten How To Blog?
It's really hard for me to get back into this
blogging thing. I used to have no problem coming up with things to say, and now
I don't know what to do. I think school is really using up all of my brainpower
right now. Every time I think I'm finished, another huge project comes along. I
guess that's life, but I need a chance to catch my breath. Oh well, only a few
more weeks!
Umm, happy birthday to Sarah. Yeah, there we go, that's a legitimate entry. Also, I'm now an Apple Store affiliate so look for ads to the right.
Umm, happy birthday to Sarah. Yeah, there we go, that's a legitimate entry. Also, I'm now an Apple Store affiliate so look for ads to the right.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Imagine the Possibilities
I chuckled at this video a
couple weeks ago, but didn't post it because it's usually Windows, not the
hardware, that causes the crash. But now that Boot Camp is out, this
commercial is of reality. Perhaps whoever remixed it knew what was
coming...
In case you haven't seen it, here's the real commercial.
In case you haven't seen it, here's the real commercial.
Friday, April 21, 2006
The Return
Testing one two three. Check. Check one. Check
two. Check three. Man, this blog is
dusty.
Alright, guys, I think I've got the old blog fired up again after over a week of Wysz's Great Internet Blackout. You see until last night, I'd been doing hardly anything online. I didn't update my blog, I didn't go on AIM, and my email inbox piled up so high that it now rivals the Library of Congress in volume.
Since my online activity is usually strictly correlated with my consciousness, people began to wonder what was going on after only a few days. I got concerned emails, writing on my Facebook wall, people contacting my roommate, and some even turned to calling my cell phone to get in touch with me. Most people assumed I had left the planet. Oh, and speaking of my cell phone, I still to this day have never sent a text message in my life. I tried to a couple days ago but it didn't work.
So, what have I been doing? Glad I asked.
I've been acting like a student at Johns Hopkins. Like a totally real university-level academic. Now I've been a student for quite some time here, doing the usual things like going to class and taking exams, like one would do at any school. But last week, my behavior became more extreme. I started waking up at 6 AM instead of staying up until 6 AM. And I wasn't waking up to update my blog. I was working. Eventually my schedule reached the point where I was awake for several days, only sleeping for two hours at a time to keep me going. I was a machine. I edited videos, made 4,000 trips to the Digital Media Center, actually worked at home on Easter weekend, burned 29 DVDs in 45 minutes, took an exam at some point, wrote a presentation, talked to an experimental filmmaker about books, and even found myself getting things together for a class that I had dropped several weeks ago.
But that's mostly behind me now, and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still have at least two more videos to produce, a presentation on Monday, and finals, but after that I'm graduating so it's all good. I'm even going to make an effort to be somewhat social this weekend by going to Spring Fair, since it's my last chance to experience it as a student. In the past, I've only walked past it on my way home or to class.
So that's the deal, folks. I was working. But I'm back now so more fun is on the way. And thanks to everyone who asked how I was doing. Shout-out to Embry-Riddle. I gotta get back to work.
Alright, guys, I think I've got the old blog fired up again after over a week of Wysz's Great Internet Blackout. You see until last night, I'd been doing hardly anything online. I didn't update my blog, I didn't go on AIM, and my email inbox piled up so high that it now rivals the Library of Congress in volume.
Since my online activity is usually strictly correlated with my consciousness, people began to wonder what was going on after only a few days. I got concerned emails, writing on my Facebook wall, people contacting my roommate, and some even turned to calling my cell phone to get in touch with me. Most people assumed I had left the planet. Oh, and speaking of my cell phone, I still to this day have never sent a text message in my life. I tried to a couple days ago but it didn't work.
So, what have I been doing? Glad I asked.
I've been acting like a student at Johns Hopkins. Like a totally real university-level academic. Now I've been a student for quite some time here, doing the usual things like going to class and taking exams, like one would do at any school. But last week, my behavior became more extreme. I started waking up at 6 AM instead of staying up until 6 AM. And I wasn't waking up to update my blog. I was working. Eventually my schedule reached the point where I was awake for several days, only sleeping for two hours at a time to keep me going. I was a machine. I edited videos, made 4,000 trips to the Digital Media Center, actually worked at home on Easter weekend, burned 29 DVDs in 45 minutes, took an exam at some point, wrote a presentation, talked to an experimental filmmaker about books, and even found myself getting things together for a class that I had dropped several weeks ago.
But that's mostly behind me now, and I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still have at least two more videos to produce, a presentation on Monday, and finals, but after that I'm graduating so it's all good. I'm even going to make an effort to be somewhat social this weekend by going to Spring Fair, since it's my last chance to experience it as a student. In the past, I've only walked past it on my way home or to class.
So that's the deal, folks. I was working. But I'm back now so more fun is on the way. And thanks to everyone who asked how I was doing. Shout-out to Embry-Riddle. I gotta get back to work.
So, about Spring Fair...
I know I said I'm going to go, but it was raining
today. I never said I would go if it's raining. Maybe I'll go
tomorrow.
Monday, April 10, 2006
RDF Revealed
Yes, I know it's April 10th and I'm still
covering Apple-related April Fool's material. I just came across a
blog entry by Chuq Von Rospach, who claims
to run Steve's famous Reality Distortion Field. Joy of Tech revealed a
small
glimpse of it a few months ago, but this blogger explains it in great
detail.
One interesting note is that when comparing two sources on the subject, the date of the RDF's invention is uncertain. Both Moltz and Rospach agree that the RDF was brought to Jobs by Woz, but Rospach gives Sunday, 1982 as the date, while Moltz asserts that Woz actually discovered the underlying technology eight years earlier at HP.
While these accounts appear to be in conflict, I think I have it figured out. Woz acquired the HP technology in 1974, but kept it hidden away for several years so the few at HP who knew about its existence could forget about it. Then, in 1982, Woz knew that enough time had passed, and he could create inventions without them being associated with the technology simply by timing. He brought the technology out of its secret location, and later that day had the toaster incident as described by Rospach.
It's now past 6 AM... I should really stop thinking about this. I'm such a weirdo.
One interesting note is that when comparing two sources on the subject, the date of the RDF's invention is uncertain. Both Moltz and Rospach agree that the RDF was brought to Jobs by Woz, but Rospach gives Sunday, 1982 as the date, while Moltz asserts that Woz actually discovered the underlying technology eight years earlier at HP.
While these accounts appear to be in conflict, I think I have it figured out. Woz acquired the HP technology in 1974, but kept it hidden away for several years so the few at HP who knew about its existence could forget about it. Then, in 1982, Woz knew that enough time had passed, and he could create inventions without them being associated with the technology simply by timing. He brought the technology out of its secret location, and later that day had the toaster incident as described by Rospach.
It's now past 6 AM... I should really stop thinking about this. I'm such a weirdo.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
"Rabid Film Theorist"
Last week, Ross McElwee, a documentary
filmmaker, came to one of my film classes. We watched a sampling of many of his
works, including Bright
Leaves in its entirety. My favorite part of the film was when
McElwee's friend Charleen sees a black cat, but another great moment is an
appearance by Vlada
Petric. You can download the clip
here. If you don't watch the whole thing, make sure you skip to 05:10
and listen to what McElwee says.
The clip is AVI format and a delayed download. Obviously I'm not responsible for this. If you're using a Mac, and you should be, use VLC.
The clip is AVI format and a delayed download. Obviously I'm not responsible for this. If you're using a Mac, and you should be, use VLC.
Apple's 30th Anniversary: 15 Billion Years in the Making
Macworld has called upon John Moltz, editor in
chief of Crazy Apple
Rumors, to provide a 15
billion-year retrospective on Apple's
history.
For Macworld's more serious look at Apple's past, check out their list of what they feel are Apple's 30 most significant products.
For Macworld's more serious look at Apple's past, check out their list of what they feel are Apple's 30 most significant products.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Robot Monkeys on iTunes
It looks like John Young isn't the only one who
is fascinated
with robot monkeys. I just found out that an animated series called
Super
Robot Monkey Team Hyper Force Go! is now available on iTunes. Based on
the title and previews, I'm assuming that this came from Japan. Robot monkeys
are now an international phenomenon.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Microsoft?
Please don't be alarmed, I know I just linked to
a way that
allows you to put Windows on a Mac. For the record, I totally don't recommend
doing it, however, I think it is a good solution for people who want to buy a
Mac, but want to know that they can always go back to Windows if they need to.
Plus, not everyone develops for the Mac, so in some cases I myself might need to
switch over for a second. Everything has its
purpose.
But while I'm already talking about Microsoft, I thought I'd mention Windows Live Local, part of Windows Live. Evan just sent me a link to it, and it's a different way of navigating. Windows Live Local actually allows you to "drive" around a city, sort of like the "3D Buildings" feature in Google Earth, but with actual photographs along with an aerial map view. The interface is still pretty clunky, but kudos to Microsoft for being creative, and I can see how in some cases this could be a useful product.
Mac users, please know that it doesn't work in Safari as of this entry. The Mozilla browsers (Firefox/Mozilla/Camino) or the latest version of Opera will allow you to try it out.
But while I'm already talking about Microsoft, I thought I'd mention Windows Live Local, part of Windows Live. Evan just sent me a link to it, and it's a different way of navigating. Windows Live Local actually allows you to "drive" around a city, sort of like the "3D Buildings" feature in Google Earth, but with actual photographs along with an aerial map view. The interface is still pretty clunky, but kudos to Microsoft for being creative, and I can see how in some cases this could be a useful product.
Mac users, please know that it doesn't work in Safari as of this entry. The Mozilla browsers (Firefox/Mozilla/Camino) or the latest version of Opera will allow you to try it out.
No More Excuses.
If you've ever considered making "the switch,"
get out there, and buy a Mac (with an Intel chip). Here's
why.
Apple: "Fine, but don't say we didn't warn you."
Here are some quotes from Apple regarding their
new Boot Camp
software, which allows you to install Windows on an Intel-powered Mac. (Yes, you
still keep your Mac OS as
well.)
From the press release
Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows...
- Phil Schiller
From the Boot Camp page
Boot Camp will burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet for them.*
• A printer for the instructions (You'll want to print them before installing Windows, really.)
- Item on the "What you'll need" list
Don't forget to follow best practices for updating and protecting your Windows system (see "Word to the wise" to right).
EFI and BIOS
Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.
Word to the Wise
Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it'll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes.
# of times Apple mentions that it does not sell or support Windows
4
* I once had to do a Windows install on a Dell, and even though I used the CD that came with the computer, it took quite a bit of work to get the drivers, considering even the network card didn't work without one. I ended up downloading most of the drivers on our iMac and burning a CD. In Dell's defense, they did provide a separate CD of drivers, however it was cracked and unusable.
From the press release
Apple has no desire or plan to sell or support Windows...
- Phil Schiller
From the Boot Camp page
Boot Camp will burn a CD of all the required drivers for Windows so you don't have to scrounge around the Internet for them.*
• A printer for the instructions (You'll want to print them before installing Windows, really.)
- Item on the "What you'll need" list
Don't forget to follow best practices for updating and protecting your Windows system (see "Word to the wise" to right).
EFI and BIOS
Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.
Word to the Wise
Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it'll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes.
# of times Apple mentions that it does not sell or support Windows
4
* I once had to do a Windows install on a Dell, and even though I used the CD that came with the computer, it took quite a bit of work to get the drivers, considering even the network card didn't work without one. I ended up downloading most of the drivers on our iMac and burning a CD. In Dell's defense, they did provide a separate CD of drivers, however it was cracked and unusable.
Ridiculous
John Stowe:
you didn't actually link to windows live
local
Michael Wyszomierski: umm my finger slipped
Michael Wyszomierski: i am trying to increase my credibility
John Stowe: usually people say that when they're flipping the bird
Michael Wyszomierski: only showing one side is a fallacy of argument
Michael Wyszomierski: the finger is such an odd thing
Michael Wyszomierski: i really don't get it
Michael Wyszomierski: it is so ridiculous
Michael Wyszomierski: umm my finger slipped
Michael Wyszomierski: i am trying to increase my credibility
John Stowe: usually people say that when they're flipping the bird
Michael Wyszomierski: only showing one side is a fallacy of argument
Michael Wyszomierski: the finger is such an odd thing
Michael Wyszomierski: i really don't get it
Michael Wyszomierski: it is so ridiculous
What would I do without Blake?
Blake Mattern:
so i just
realized
Michael Wyszomierski: what
Blake Mattern: your prbly doing this as a joke aren't you
Michael Wyszomierski: what as a joke
Blake Mattern: the aol thingy
Michael Wyszomierski: no
11:30 PM
Michael Wyszomierski: i saw it in an article on google news
Blake Mattern: then hows come i can't find it anywhere on google news
Michael Wyszomierski: how hard have you looked?
Blake Mattern: i typed in and searched for aol shutdown
Michael Wyszomierski: dude, it's AIM, not all of AOL
Blake Mattern: instant messenger shutdown
Blake Mattern: i even copied and pasted the first sentence or to and searched for that
Michael Wyszomierski: haha
Blake Mattern: ugh
Michael Wyszomierski: did you like the article? you were the inspiration for the girl quote
Blake Mattern: you did make it up
Blake Mattern: didnt you
Michael Wyszomierski: no
Michael Wyszomierski: it's all real
Michael Wyszomierski: what
Blake Mattern: your prbly doing this as a joke aren't you
Michael Wyszomierski: what as a joke
Blake Mattern: the aol thingy
Michael Wyszomierski: no
11:30 PM
Michael Wyszomierski: i saw it in an article on google news
Blake Mattern: then hows come i can't find it anywhere on google news
Michael Wyszomierski: how hard have you looked?
Blake Mattern: i typed in and searched for aol shutdown
Michael Wyszomierski: dude, it's AIM, not all of AOL
Blake Mattern: instant messenger shutdown
Blake Mattern: i even copied and pasted the first sentence or to and searched for that
Michael Wyszomierski: haha
Blake Mattern: ugh
Michael Wyszomierski: did you like the article? you were the inspiration for the girl quote
Blake Mattern: you did make it up
Blake Mattern: didnt you
Michael Wyszomierski: no
Michael Wyszomierski: it's all real
Blake (cont.)
Blake Mattern:
so are you sure your not messin
w/ me
Michael Wyszomierski: yes
Michael Wyszomierski: i mean no
Michael Wyszomierski: or i dont know
11:50 PM
Blake Mattern: i hate you
Blake Mattern: and my freakin' gullibility that i inherited
Blake Mattern: your turning this into a blog entry aren't you
Michael Wyszomierski: haha
Michael Wyszomierski: i already made one, now i need to do another
Blake Mattern: you suck
Michael Wyszomierski: yes
Michael Wyszomierski: i mean no
Michael Wyszomierski: or i dont know
11:50 PM
Blake Mattern: i hate you
Blake Mattern: and my freakin' gullibility that i inherited
Blake Mattern: your turning this into a blog entry aren't you
Michael Wyszomierski: haha
Michael Wyszomierski: i already made one, now i need to do another
Blake Mattern: you suck
Unbelievable
Blake Mattern:
for the
record
Blake Mattern: you fooled nate too
We're talking about this, which was supposed to be a small joke, not a hoax.
Blake Mattern: you fooled nate too
We're talking about this, which was supposed to be a small joke, not a hoax.
Come on people
Reneelet:
the thing about aim on your
blog
Reneelet: its a joke right
Michael Wyszomierski: i don't think so, i found it on google http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&q=AOL+shutdown&btnG=Search+News
Michael Wyszomierski: i can't remember the exact article
Reneelet: what are we going to do
Michael Wyszomierski: i'll probably use google talk
Reneelet: its not true
Reneelet: it cant be
Michael Wyszomierski: well you'll find something else
5:40 PM
Reneelet: no, i really dont think its true
Michael Wyszomierski: well why would someone publish a fake article
Reneelet: well i cant find any other articles about it
Reneelet: and aim is so important that if it were true, it would be big news
Michael Wyszomierski: well this is new news
Michael Wyszomierski: i am cutting edge
Reneelet: this is news from tuesday
Reneelet: today is wednesday
Reneelet: if it were true
Reneelet: we would have already received about 100 email petitions
Reneelet: its not true
Reneelet: aol didnt put out any press releases like that this month
Reneelet: you are spreading lies
Reneelet: its a joke right
Michael Wyszomierski: i don't think so, i found it on google http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&q=AOL+shutdown&btnG=Search+News
Michael Wyszomierski: i can't remember the exact article
Reneelet: what are we going to do
Michael Wyszomierski: i'll probably use google talk
Reneelet: its not true
Reneelet: it cant be
Michael Wyszomierski: well you'll find something else
5:40 PM
Reneelet: no, i really dont think its true
Michael Wyszomierski: well why would someone publish a fake article
Reneelet: well i cant find any other articles about it
Reneelet: and aim is so important that if it were true, it would be big news
Michael Wyszomierski: well this is new news
Michael Wyszomierski: i am cutting edge
Reneelet: this is news from tuesday
Reneelet: today is wednesday
Reneelet: if it were true
Reneelet: we would have already received about 100 email petitions
Reneelet: its not true
Reneelet: aol didnt put out any press releases like that this month
Reneelet: you are spreading lies
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Compliment Sandwich
Let me start off by saying that CafePress.com is
a great site. They do plenty of things right. It's easy to use, it's flexible,
they have affiliate and referral programs, and their products are good
quality.
For those of you that don't know what CafePress is, it is a custom printing service that allows you to upload and print your images on a variety of items (over 80 options), including apparel, bumper stickers, and even print-on-demand books and CDs. You can make something for yourself or as a gift, open a public store for free and collect a markup, or browse the other public items and shop for yourself.
However, it seems there are some kinks in their customer support system.
My first experience with their support system began with me filling out their support request form, asking if i could use product images on my site. It took them four full days to get back to me, however, I would say that i was satisfied with this experience. Why? I didn't get a form letter, they apologized for (and explained) the delay, and, the answer was yes! They even provided instructions for saving the images in case i didn't know how.
In the process of creating the Robot Monkey store, I created my first CafePress audio CD. These can be created either by uploading MP3 files or by mailing in a physical master. I chose the MP3 option and uploaded the necessary MP3 files. There was no notice (that I saw) of any verification process beyond the technical verification of the MP3 files, which was completed within a couple minutes of uploading. Because of this, I was confused when hours later, my CD was still stuck with a "PENDING" status. At this point, I posted on the support forum (after searching first) and filled out the support contact form because I wanted to get this squared away ASAP for the April 1st launch. The next day, having remembered the long response time for my previous request, I decided to call them. The representative was very friendly, but wasn't able to do much besides search the same help pages I had access to. He suggested that I wait until about 1:00 (it was 9 AM EST) and check back to see if the techs in California had replied to my forum post. I called back called back after 3, and the same rep answered. He apologized for the wait and explained that there was 1-2 day wait to verify quality of the tracks and to make sure there were no copyright violations.
I was satisfied at this point, since I knew it was just a matter of time for the CD to appear, and that there was nothing wrong with the system and I didn't miss something. When the image fiasco was over, the CD appeared on the store with the restoration of the rest of my products. A couple hours later, I received an email response to my support request, telling me that the CD was unavailable because I had not yet physically mailed them my master CD, even though I had explained in my request that I used the MP3 upload feature, AND the CD was at this point publicly available on the store! Oh well, at least the CD is working. I'm glad to see that the series of random beeps was up to CafePress.com quality standards.
The good news is that there are signs CafePress is focused on their customers, with discussion forums, chats, contests, and even meet & greet events. So, get going to CafePress.com and have fun.
For those of you that don't know what CafePress is, it is a custom printing service that allows you to upload and print your images on a variety of items (over 80 options), including apparel, bumper stickers, and even print-on-demand books and CDs. You can make something for yourself or as a gift, open a public store for free and collect a markup, or browse the other public items and shop for yourself.
However, it seems there are some kinks in their customer support system.
My first experience with their support system began with me filling out their support request form, asking if i could use product images on my site. It took them four full days to get back to me, however, I would say that i was satisfied with this experience. Why? I didn't get a form letter, they apologized for (and explained) the delay, and, the answer was yes! They even provided instructions for saving the images in case i didn't know how.
In the process of creating the Robot Monkey store, I created my first CafePress audio CD. These can be created either by uploading MP3 files or by mailing in a physical master. I chose the MP3 option and uploaded the necessary MP3 files. There was no notice (that I saw) of any verification process beyond the technical verification of the MP3 files, which was completed within a couple minutes of uploading. Because of this, I was confused when hours later, my CD was still stuck with a "PENDING" status. At this point, I posted on the support forum (after searching first) and filled out the support contact form because I wanted to get this squared away ASAP for the April 1st launch. The next day, having remembered the long response time for my previous request, I decided to call them. The representative was very friendly, but wasn't able to do much besides search the same help pages I had access to. He suggested that I wait until about 1:00 (it was 9 AM EST) and check back to see if the techs in California had replied to my forum post. I called back called back after 3, and the same rep answered. He apologized for the wait and explained that there was 1-2 day wait to verify quality of the tracks and to make sure there were no copyright violations.
I was satisfied at this point, since I knew it was just a matter of time for the CD to appear, and that there was nothing wrong with the system and I didn't miss something. When the image fiasco was over, the CD appeared on the store with the restoration of the rest of my products. A couple hours later, I received an email response to my support request, telling me that the CD was unavailable because I had not yet physically mailed them my master CD, even though I had explained in my request that I used the MP3 upload feature, AND the CD was at this point publicly available on the store! Oh well, at least the CD is working. I'm glad to see that the series of random beeps was up to CafePress.com quality standards.
The good news is that there are signs CafePress is focused on their customers, with discussion forums, chats, contests, and even meet & greet events. So, get going to CafePress.com and have fun.
AOL to shut down free Instant messaging service, World Expected to Panic, Possible Martial Law
DULLES, VA — AOL LLC, a division of Time
Warner Inc. (TWX), announced
Tuesday that it will be terminating its popular free AOL Instant
Messenger™ service, commonly known as AIM, at midnight PST on the morning
of May 1st of this year. AOL cited cost as the primary reason for discontinuing
the service.
Paid services utilizing the instant messaging network will continue to function normally, so the shutdown will not affect AOL users, mobile users, or AIM@work. AOL has not announced any plans regarding ICQ, another messaging service owned by the company.
While AIM may seem as important as a public utility to an entire generation, AOL is in no way obligated to maintain the service, which has been available to users free of charge since 1997 and handles a reported 1.6 billion messages each day. Users of new communication services have increasingly relied on them for everyday communication, including business users. In a recent patent dispute, word spread that Research In Motion Limited's (RIMM) popular BlackBerry wireless email service may be shut down in the US by an injunction, causing many businesses to reevaluate their reliance on the system.
According to AOL, the free offering has become a money-losing operation. Functioning for many years through an ad-supported client application, the service has met tough hurdles in recent years. Many users have switched to ad-free alternative clients, and increased activity by "spam bots" has also taxed the network.
AIM has been the most popular instant messaging platform, however, many alternatives exist, including ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, and services using the Jabber protocol. Current AIM users are expected to flock to these other services, although it remains unknown which will prove to be the most popular. Owners of these services, including Google (GOOG), which operates a recently launched Jabber-based "Google Talk" service, are likely scrambling after today's news to come up with an effective marketing plan to win millions of displaced users.
Initial reactions to the announcement have ranged from shock to rage.
The fact that users have over three weeks to inform current AIM contacts of screen names on an alternative services did nothing to quell the concerns of AIM user lolgrrrL87!, a self-described "attractive 25 year-old marine biolagist [sic]" who requested that we maintain her font choices in our article.
lolgurrrL87!: NOOOOOOOOOO
lolgurrrL87!: u dont understaaaanddd!!1!
lolgurrrL87!: my buddy list
lolgurrrL87!: its catagorisedddd
lolgurrrL87!: i hav ale
lolgurrrL87!: rts
lolgurrrL87!: alerts lol
lolgurrrL87!: i have custum icns
lolgurrrL87!: i hav ppl i haven't talked to since hi skool
lolgurrrL87!: my buddy list
lolgurrrL87!: my buddy list
lolgurrrL87!: i heart it =(
At this point, lolgurrrL87! slammed her head on her keyboard and sobbed uncontrollably.
An AOL spokesperson explained lolgurrrL87!'s disappointment.
"We understand that the Buddy List is one of our most popular features. We suggest that AIM users evaluate similar services with presence awareness capabilities, and remind them that AIM users who purchase an AOL subscription before May 1, 2006 may transfer their existing screen name and Buddy List to the AOL service. New AOL customers receive a free installation CD and 720 free hours on our network."
lolgurrrL87! responded:
lolgurrrL87!: ur a communist
Some, however, welcomed the closure.
"I was kinda tired of AIM anyway," said John Rezamo, 22. "In fact, I've been avoiding it recently. If someone needs to talk to me, they'll call my phone. It's nice, because people generally only call when they actually have something to say. They don't just call and ask, 'Sup?' Plus, the end of the conversation is never ambiguous. You just say, 'Goodbye,' and hang up.
A broader public opinion is probably already beginning to emerge in the vocal "blogosphere," but this reporter didn't feel like reading any of that.
Paid services utilizing the instant messaging network will continue to function normally, so the shutdown will not affect AOL users, mobile users, or AIM@work. AOL has not announced any plans regarding ICQ, another messaging service owned by the company.
While AIM may seem as important as a public utility to an entire generation, AOL is in no way obligated to maintain the service, which has been available to users free of charge since 1997 and handles a reported 1.6 billion messages each day. Users of new communication services have increasingly relied on them for everyday communication, including business users. In a recent patent dispute, word spread that Research In Motion Limited's (RIMM) popular BlackBerry wireless email service may be shut down in the US by an injunction, causing many businesses to reevaluate their reliance on the system.
According to AOL, the free offering has become a money-losing operation. Functioning for many years through an ad-supported client application, the service has met tough hurdles in recent years. Many users have switched to ad-free alternative clients, and increased activity by "spam bots" has also taxed the network.
AIM has been the most popular instant messaging platform, however, many alternatives exist, including ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype, and services using the Jabber protocol. Current AIM users are expected to flock to these other services, although it remains unknown which will prove to be the most popular. Owners of these services, including Google (GOOG), which operates a recently launched Jabber-based "Google Talk" service, are likely scrambling after today's news to come up with an effective marketing plan to win millions of displaced users.
Initial reactions to the announcement have ranged from shock to rage.
The fact that users have over three weeks to inform current AIM contacts of screen names on an alternative services did nothing to quell the concerns of AIM user lolgrrrL87!, a self-described "attractive 25 year-old marine biolagist [sic]" who requested that we maintain her font choices in our article.
lolgurrrL87!: NOOOOOOOOOO
lolgurrrL87!: u dont understaaaanddd!!1!
lolgurrrL87!: my buddy list
lolgurrrL87!: its catagorisedddd
lolgurrrL87!: i hav ale
lolgurrrL87!: rts
lolgurrrL87!: alerts lol
lolgurrrL87!: i have custum icns
lolgurrrL87!: i hav ppl i haven't talked to since hi skool
lolgurrrL87!: my buddy list
lolgurrrL87!: my buddy list
lolgurrrL87!: i heart it =(
At this point, lolgurrrL87! slammed her head on her keyboard and sobbed uncontrollably.
An AOL spokesperson explained lolgurrrL87!'s disappointment.
"We understand that the Buddy List is one of our most popular features. We suggest that AIM users evaluate similar services with presence awareness capabilities, and remind them that AIM users who purchase an AOL subscription before May 1, 2006 may transfer their existing screen name and Buddy List to the AOL service. New AOL customers receive a free installation CD and 720 free hours on our network."
lolgurrrL87! responded:
lolgurrrL87!: ur a communist
Some, however, welcomed the closure.
"I was kinda tired of AIM anyway," said John Rezamo, 22. "In fact, I've been avoiding it recently. If someone needs to talk to me, they'll call my phone. It's nice, because people generally only call when they actually have something to say. They don't just call and ask, 'Sup?' Plus, the end of the conversation is never ambiguous. You just say, 'Goodbye,' and hang up.
A broader public opinion is probably already beginning to emerge in the vocal "blogosphere," but this reporter didn't feel like reading any of that.
Just for kicks
It's 2:22!
I'm watching you...
I've just signed up for Google Analytics, so
hopefully I'll soon have some fun information to share with you about traffic on
this site. It also means that I won't have to place an ad on a page just to
track it. Don't worry, I won't try to personally identify any individual habits.
That's just
nasty.
UPDATE:
Ugh, looks like I need to own the domain in order for this to work, as it wants to check the home page of www.mac.com for the code to activate my profile. I know I should have my own domain by now, but I'm cheap.
UPDATE:
Ugh, looks like I need to own the domain in order for this to work, as it wants to check the home page of www.mac.com for the code to activate my profile. I know I should have my own domain by now, but I'm cheap.
2 Important Birthdays
Apple
On Saturday, April 1st, Apple had its 30th birthday. While some were hoping for a new product announcement on this day, I was skeptical about the company willing to release news on a Saturday, but I did hope for a retrospective or other acknowledgment on their website.
Fortunately, Engadget picked up the slack on the date and brought us 30 years in Apple products: the good, the bad, and the ugly, which takes a hardware product-based approach. Just warning you though, "The bad" ends with the Newton, the TAM, and the Cube. While their arguments are valid, they should know that each one of these products has its own cult of followers, and you know they're going to be passionate when they're a subset of the broader Apple club. And as someone who spent years working on a Performa 575, I'm not sure how I feel about its "ugly" classification.
This Week in Tech (iTunes link) was also up to the task of commemorating the event, as Episode 48, recorded on April 1st and released on Sunday night, is a special edition with guests from the early days of Apple. I'd really like to meet Woz in person someday. The audio isn't great on this episode, but it's worth a listen. I've been listening to TWiT since last summer, and it's a great show.
See also:
Folklore.org
apple-history.com
Mactracker
Andy Hertzfield on NerdTV
Wikipedia's Apple and Macintosh articles
Strong Bad
Today, Strong Bad Email #150 was released after much anticipation. I don't want to ruin the plot, so check it out on your own. Strong Bad doppelgängers represent!
See also:
Homestar Runner Wiki
On Saturday, April 1st, Apple had its 30th birthday. While some were hoping for a new product announcement on this day, I was skeptical about the company willing to release news on a Saturday, but I did hope for a retrospective or other acknowledgment on their website.
Fortunately, Engadget picked up the slack on the date and brought us 30 years in Apple products: the good, the bad, and the ugly, which takes a hardware product-based approach. Just warning you though, "The bad" ends with the Newton, the TAM, and the Cube. While their arguments are valid, they should know that each one of these products has its own cult of followers, and you know they're going to be passionate when they're a subset of the broader Apple club. And as someone who spent years working on a Performa 575, I'm not sure how I feel about its "ugly" classification.
This Week in Tech (iTunes link) was also up to the task of commemorating the event, as Episode 48, recorded on April 1st and released on Sunday night, is a special edition with guests from the early days of Apple. I'd really like to meet Woz in person someday. The audio isn't great on this episode, but it's worth a listen. I've been listening to TWiT since last summer, and it's a great show.
See also:
Folklore.org
apple-history.com
Mactracker
Andy Hertzfield on NerdTV
Wikipedia's Apple and Macintosh articles
Strong Bad
Today, Strong Bad Email #150 was released after much anticipation. I don't want to ruin the plot, so check it out on your own. Strong Bad doppelgängers represent!
See also:
Homestar Runner Wiki
Earlier this morning
Reneelet:
i
shopped
Reneelet: i bought a new stick of eye shadow, and a lipstick
Reneelet: i brought them home
Reneelet: opened them both
Reneelet: and proceeded to put lipstick on my eyelids
Reneelet: i don't believe you're actually sleeping
Reneelet: i bought a new stick of eye shadow, and a lipstick
Reneelet: i brought them home
Reneelet: opened them both
Reneelet: and proceeded to put lipstick on my eyelids
Reneelet: i don't believe you're actually sleeping
Monday, April 03, 2006
CafePress ain't so bad after all
On Saturday,
CafePress put Bill's Robot Monkey image on hold in my new store. I sent
them an email explaining my reasoning for how it was not infringement, and
today, the first business day following my complaint (and still morning in
California where they operate), my store has been restored. My guess is that my
initial mistake was in tagging the image with "Family Guy," so I'll have to be
more careful about that in the future. So, good work CafePress! As for the rest
of you, get
clicking.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Do not be afraid.
Happy April Fool's Day, kids.
I'm sleeping through most of the day. A nice side effect is that it will be harder for people to play tricks on me, since almost everyone would have to do it remotely, requiring my consciousness. The reason for my slumber is that I was up all night putting the finishing touches on a new store. I'm coming down like a monkey, but it's all right because it's finished, except for the CD which I'm waiting to hear back from Cafepress on. Thanks to John Young for the inspiration and Bill for the art. This is my best attempt at art.
Here's some Fool's stuff:
The Internet's phone number has been published! First Amazon's customer service number leaked to the general public, and now the Internet itself can be reached directly. No menus to navigate when they're open; you're automatically connected to a live person! Get the number here. I gave them a call to check out what was going on for April Fool's Day, but their April Fool's Committee was foolishly located in El Paso, where they do not have a sense of humor.
On Thursday, I finally was able to catch The Office on TV. During the commercial breaks, they had a couple great "The More You Know" parodies about office relationships. I was laughing out loud, and couldn't wait for someone to post them on the Internet. Well, the wait is over, as NBC has posted them on their site. And, the best part is, even though it's NBC, the videos work on a Mac!
Flickr got in the foolish spirit today... there seems to be something up with their interestingness algorithm. Go explore.
(Hint: It's weighted towards a certain tag. Just take a guess before you click.)
HomestarRunner.com is upside-down.
As usual, you can find a list of many of today's hoaxes over at Wikipedia.
Ughghhh. Monkeys.
So earlier today I opened up a store on
CafePress.com dedicated to this
drawing by Bill of a robotic monkey holding an American flag. I just
got an email from CafePress telling me that this image may infringe the rights
of a third party. Most of the products containing the monkey image are now
removed from the public view of the store, leaving me with only a few
items.
So, who is right? The closest third-party image is the Family Guy monkey, which was an inspiration. However, besides his pose and expression, the images are obviously of different characters. I mean how many ways could you possibly draw a robotic monkey?
I'd post a side-by-side comparison here, but this might be the wrong place to use a copyrighted image from Family Guy.
So, who is right? The closest third-party image is the Family Guy monkey, which was an inspiration. However, besides his pose and expression, the images are obviously of different characters. I mean how many ways could you possibly draw a robotic monkey?
I'd post a side-by-side comparison here, but this might be the wrong place to use a copyrighted image from Family Guy.