every day i write the book

The RIAA uses Limewire

psd — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:10:32 +0000

Just read a post at The Chronicle (of Higher Education) about how the RIAA goes about identifying alleged music pirates. Apparently an anonymous representative of the organization stopped by the Chronicle’s offices and gave a rundown of how it’s done. I found it funny, and perfectly obvious, that they would use Limewire to identify people who share songs on the RIAA hotlist. Read more…

While sharing this article with a colleague, he tells me about a highly controversial act which just overwhelmingly passed the House - the PRO IP Act. Not bad enough that tax dollars may conceivably fund the ‘copyright police’, but how about hiring “a Cabinet-level “IP enforcement czar” that would report to the President and coordinate enforcement efforts across government”. Wha? Learn more, then call/write/email your congressman.

Idea! OCR Ink

psd — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:58:49 +0000

As I sit here, reading through 50 resumes looking for keywords and wishing there was a search engine for paper, I wished I could just scan the paper and do a keyword search. I know there is a handheld scanner out there, but this idea would need something special…a quick and dirty OCR client. As Walt and I talked this out, we came up with the idea of a special kind/color of ink that the scanner would detect to make the always clunky OCR software more efficient. Maybe have a standard series of dots associated with each letter, no matter the font. Something that could be incorporated in a special printer, or merely a printer driver, or some extension of the software…

I’ll get back to you on this one as we talk about the possibilities some more. An electrical engineer would be helpful to talk to right now….

kids these days…

psd — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:36:33 +0000

I was surfing music blogs tonight and I came across something that raised my eyebrow. Now, not much surprised me, but this is hands down the winner of the most disturbing images evoked by a band name/album name in my lifetime:

My Penis is Made of Dogshit - Satan Gets An Abortion

This can’t possibly be good. Can it?

news from the inbox

psd — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:45:45 +0000

Finally, a reason to Twitter: A student at the University of California at Berkeley was arrested in Egypt for photographing a demonstration. His Twitter message, “Arrested”, sparked a series of events that led to his being released from jail. More…

A new social network on Internet2: Muse was developed by student Web programmers at the University of Washington for Internet2, an advanced computing consortium of colleges and businesses. Visit Muse.

Linked to in a uWedD thread: “…the web is a conversation. Marketing, by contrast, is a monologue.” Well said, Zeldman. The article this was taken from is a interesting look at why web is not a department of its own, but housed in IT or Marketing. Read…

Good Times

psd — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:46:44 +0000

The equipment for the podcasting lab has (mostly) been delivered and we’re starting to plan for it’s use. ONce everything is connected and working properly, we’ll do some test recordings and get this show on the road. First up, a podcast from the kids in my summer Upward Bound Computer Tech class. They’ll get to preview the studio before anyone else, and, hopefully, help Caleb and I work out the kinks.

Last night, I searched Google for some simple podcasting tutorials and came across what may prove to be a easy-access podcasting gem–Gcast. You can record onto a computer, you can record from your cellphone and you can use songs from their sister site, GarageBand.com. And that click led me to this post.

In addition to being a resource for free music and soundbytes for your podcast, GarageBand is a showcase for new and unknown artists. This week’s Acoustic Track of the Week is Good Times by the Lance Sitton Band. It’s morning and I’m feeling ‘acoustic’, so I give it a listen. Huh. This guy’s pretty damn good! Definitely influenced by Jack Johnson and the whole, feel-good, surf-and-sun genre, Good Times sounds like it could have been straight off Jack’s In Between Dreams from 2005. I look to hear more from Lance Sitton.

Check out the Good Times video (via YouTube)

myspace | garageband

HR Pufnstuf

psd — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:03:33 +0000

Woah. This one really brought back memories. “HR Pufnstuf…he’s your friend when things get rough. HR Pufnstuf…can’t do a little cuz you can’t do enough.” Saturday mornings haven’t been the same since.

for the ms cheer gurlies

psd — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:44:29 +0000

cheer tryouts - dance by pdfob

2008 “Year Zero”

psd — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 16:06:02 +0000

Time travel is a pet topic of mine. I have said, and continue to say, that if there’s a way to travel in time, I’m signing up.

It’s being widely reported that a pair of Russian mathematicians say that a massive particle accelerator being built by CERN could be the first time machine. I’m particularly intrigued by this:

New Scientist says that if time travel ultimately proves possible, it could occur only as far back as the creation of the first time machine, making 2008 “Year Zero” (meaning there’s no need to contact your time-travel agent until at least 2009).

Kind of takes away the fantasy a bit, don’t you think? It also tends to nullify every piece of time-travel fiction ever written. I need to think about this a bit more.

New Scientist article via Positive Futurist

hulu: tv. on demand.

psd — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:33:23 +0000

I took a snow day today and thought I’d catch up with the 3 email accounts I’ve been neglecting. I found an invitation to beta test hulu.

From their website:

Hulu’s ambitious and never-ending mission is to help you find and enjoy the world’s premium content when, where and how you want it. We hope to provide you with the web’s most comprehensive selection of premium programming across all genres and formats – television shows, feature films, clips, and more. Additionally, we want to give you more choices of when and where you can enjoy your favorite programming, while creating innovative experiences that let you watch and participate in online video in new and exciting ways.

I was just happy I got to watch House - Frozen since the Super Bowl snarfed up my DVR recording.

No glitches, reasonably large sized viewing screen, manageable 30 second commercial breaks and lots of opportunity for feedback. So far, only 2 of the majors are on board–FOX and NBC–but I suppose others will follow suite. Looks good to me. Hey, any chance to catch a show I enjoy(ed), is okay by me.

I’ve got a couple invitations if anyone’s interested. Leave me a comment.

Redneck Reality TV

psd — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:24:55 +0000

Okay, last night, I watched the funniest hour of TV that I’ve seen in a year. But, you know, I kinda feel bad laughing. I mean, Geneva and Kyle looked so dadgum happy standing there amongst their camo wedding party. But, pink rifles and snakes and boodwhar parties and nipple clamps and camo toes….oh my. I’m feeling ‘boobed’ myself.

Try out some down-home voyeurism yerself. CMT airs My Big Redneck Wedding Friday at 9PM. Check your local listings.

Check out the wedding photo album. | Boobed and Bottle-rocketed video.