* one song was cut from the end of the streamed live show in this download. From time to time we might be cutting out music that was played during the live show. This way there will be an additional benefit for those attending the show live where we feel things are the most dynamic. Not knocking the podcast world, but there’s something special about live streamed audio.

Last Friday and about 48 Fridays out of the year on average over the last nine years including later today I’ve hosted a streaming live web radio show at 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm GMT. As of show #182 we added live video. Even if there isn’t a post ahead of time when we go live each week, you can still tune in the audio stream using Winamp (CTRL+L), iTunes, etc at: 66.154.0.129:8200

If you’ve never tuned in before maybe today will be the day? If not, subscribe already. Our band tabites have performed live during each show we’ve done since moving it over from the prior website that ran from May 2000 until October 31, 2008. It might be our whole band performing or one or two of the members, something plugged or unplugged or both, but we’re trying to perform something original live each show. If you subscribe to the podcast you’ll get to hear music you can hear no other place, although some of this we are clipping out and publishing on tabites MySpace and official band website.

Broadcast live Friday December 12, 2008 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm GMT
Live callers were welcome - Skype: TDavid / (253) 843-6283

What happened on Hmmcast #186

• Reader benefits on blogs. When good blogs turn bad: too much clutter, too many ads, too much noise.
• “Turn the camera around!” Miscellaneous camera placement drama.
• Talking about traffic tickets received and fighting tickets in court.
• Skype call-in working (see numbers). We talked with SlickRick about his past traffic ticket fetish where he had 10 tickets in an 8 month span.
• Live original music by tabites: “Goodbye To Appleton” (unplugged, acoustic, missing second vocals verse), “Economic Ruin” (version available at tabites.com and our MySpace page with some crybaby wah pedal love)

Paying homage to “Friends” with the title. That show cracks me up.

Broadcast live Friday November 28, 2008 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm GMT

What happened on Hmmcast #185

• Walmart temporary employee trampled to death by Black Friday crowd
• Recalling the Ozzy Osbourne / King Kobra in the eighties concert in Green Bay, WI bomb threat story
• The Barney Miller sidetrack
• What happened in Mumbai, India
• Blu-ray quality
• *Live original music by tabites (full band live in studio: drums, bass, guitar, vocals): “Economic Ruin”, “Stay Out of Danger”, “Goodbye To Appleton”, “It’s Over”

Broadcast live Friday November 21, 2008 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm GMT
Streaming audio: 66.154.0.129:8200

What happened on Hmmcast #184

• *Live original music by tabites: “Don’t Break The Chain” (sans bass version), “Economic Ruin”, “Hand in Hand”, “Parallel Beings”

Hmmcast #183 live Friday November 14, 2008 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm GMT
Streaming audio: 66.154.0.129:8200

Topics for Hmmcast #183

• October worst month for U.S retail — ever (2.8% decline):
  

  the October decline in retail sales was broad-based: 2.5 percent in furniture, 2.3 percent in electronics goods, and 1.4 percent in clothing.

• First female 4-star General named Lt. Gen. Ann E. Dunwoody:
  

  Women now make up about 14 percent of the active-duty Army and are allowed to serve in a wide variety of assignments. They are still excluded from units designed primarily to engage in direct combat, such as infantry and tank units, but their opportunities have expanded over the past two decades

• [site news] block ratings replaced by stars and moved to bottom of each post. Almost 2,000 ratings have been received since adding to site.
• Hmm posts since last show review including: the strangest terrestrial casino design I’ve ever seen, Obama dog and condoms, VUDU on demand DVD / HD box
• *Featuring live original music by tabites: “Don’t Break The Chain (Unplugged)” and “Trip 9/11″ (semi-unplugged)
• *Live call-ins welcome: 253-843-6283 / Skype TDavid
• *Live chat at irc.scriptschool.com #scriptschool and in Mogulus

Hmm.

Topics for Hmmcast #182

- ch-ch-changes
- Obama is the man
- what should Yahoo! do now?
- the future of search engines
- learn what the new Hmmcast Live shows be like each week as well as how you can be part of them

* Featuring live original music by tabites in studio (”Economic Ruin” and “tabites”)
* live call-ins welcome (numbers below)

Hmmcast #182 is being aired live from 2pm - 3pm PST today through our Mogulus Hmmcast Live channel and streaming audio at: 66.154.0.129:8200

You can call into the program when it is live by dialing 253-843-6283 or Skype TDavid. Live chat in Mogulus and irc.scriptschool.com #scriptschool

The show at one time was an education show intended primarily for adult webmasters wanting to learn the technical side of the business (programming related topics). But as time has gone on, especially the last few years, it’s not been very adult-oriented and much more Hmm-like. Covering things you might expect to read/see/hear here. So it seems like a natural fit to move to this website and give the show a fresh, new coat of paint.

Network Hmm

I hesitate to use the word network to describe what’s happening with Hmm, but yes, we are expanding things. In 2009 we’ll be launching a new site that’s been on the drawing board for awhile. Several of the VTOR authors and friends I’ve made over the years online are getting together on this new site and it’s going to be a lot of fun.

So, will now be doing this web streaming radio show as a Hmmcast on Fridays at the same 2pm PST / 5pm EST / 10pm GMT time period. Also plan to shorten the show from the two hour format that I’ve done for 8+ years on the web to one hour (sometimes less, sometimes more as needed, it’s not strict).

Tentatively this ‘new’ show will be called Hmmcast Live which is something I’ve used before to describe live events done through this site. Each episode, when possible, will be available as a podcast as well through the normal hmmcast podcast feed, no need to change your subscription, if you’re subscribed.

Still working on where our new live chatroom will be, but until that decision is finalized you will be able to find us in irc.scriptschool.com #scriptschool during this transition phase. Please pardon the dust.

So please mark your calendars, set reminders.

Features of Hmmcast Live

If you’ve never heard the show before, a lot of what is blogged here is covered and even more of this will happen now that it’s carrying the name and branding of the site. Some additional planned features include:

• original music from the band tabites (the band I’ve formed)
• commercial free programming (until we acquire sponsors for the show to help pay for our Hmm-ness)
• listener and/or viewer (when we do video Hmmcasts) interaction
• live callers welcome through Skype or landline, listen to the show for the number
• me trying to convince long time Hmm reader darkmoon why he is an Xbox 360 fan in denial
• interviews with people behind companies, products, services that are blogged
• discussion and more detailed information about a new Hmm related website launching in 2009
• clips of best moments from past 400 live radio shows
• more things to make your ears and eyes go hmm!

There will still be other hmmcasts from time to time that aren’t the planned live Friday show, just FYI and the show numbering will continue from where we left off. As of this writing the next Hmmcast will be show #182. Will feel a bit weird not saying show #401, as technically that is what it will be. I consider this show a continuance, an evolution of what I’ve been hosting since May 2000, but oh well. Numbers are just, well, numbers.

We have a lot of fun during this show and it’s something I’ve enjoyed doing, particularly the live part. Looking forward to making this a regular feature here at MakeYouGoHmm for as long as it remains fun. Since I’ve been doing this going on nine years, long before podcasting, I see no reason to stop. In fact, I’d like to see it expand.

Hope you’ll join in with us and become a part of the show and history. All readers are invited and welcome. Bring your friends. Oh, and if you have any questions about the show, what it’s about or will be about, please feel free to ask below or trackback in from your blog. And if you are a regular reader and commenter don’t be surprised if I ask you to come on some future show as well.

Various times I’ve been a proud father throughout our son’s life to date but none topped Tuesday night. His birth some 18 fast (way too fast) years ago was a close second. The realization struck me that this was our first true checkmark as a parent. When I graduated from high school (barely), I wasn’t into the event. I didn’t see it as that important. I remember that was the last time I saw tears in my dad’s eyes. He was very into the event. Some 21 years later I finally understand what graduation means to parents and why it’s so important to them.

This part might seem a bit unbelievable, but it’s true. For the first time I learned where my high school diploma has been the last 21 years. My wife has had hers all along but I never even asked my dad what happened to mine. I’ve never seen it. During lunch this week I asked him if he had it and he said yes, it’s with his important papers. I’m sure he’s taken very good care of it.

Today it’s hat day at Emerald Downs. I like wearing baseball hats and since the Mariners can’t seem to win (they are in danger of being swept by the freaking Washington Nationals?! Grr), maybe wearing a horse racing hat will be better luck. Our oldest is 18, so going to take him with us, although you don’t have to be 18 to visit the track, unlike casinos.

Job-wise he’s helping us with our online business so far and working to get another job outside the family businesses. He doesn’t drive yet, but I’m sure that will happen eventually. While this might seem a bit odd for a teen, we live in a fairly small town and he has been walking distance from his school and the stores all his life. I was surprised there were forty 13 year seniors in his class of 104. A 13 year senior is defined as one who has gone through every grade in the same school (kindergarten, 1st grade - 12th).

Next year, our middle teenager will graduate and I’ll be equally as proud of him. Two years after that, our youngest is scheduled to graduate, same thing. It’s funny how you share different father-son moments with each child. With our oldest, he and I share a love in music (we went to Ozzfest and Van Halen together). Our middle teen and I love videogames together. And our youngest and I play music together on guitar, bass and drums. We’re the ones playing the original music that backs Hmmcast #181 below. Sorry about the shoddy HD camerawork, I should have brought a tripod to the event, my hand was shaking bad by the time we got to the end.

In kindergarten our oldest was a bit reluctant to leave home. He eventually warmed up to the concept of school and did well socially (seemed like there wasn’t a place we’d go that he didn’t see another student who trumpeted his name in public). I’m proud of you, son. Well done. Keep making your parents proud.

Hmmcast #181 downloads
Windows .wmv (1480×1080 HD) PSP/Zune .mp4 (480×272) iPod .mp4 (640×480)

The Endless Setlist which contains 58 songs took them 3+ hours to complete and out of a possible 290 stars (5 stars possible on each song) they had 275. A few songs they achieved gold star status on. Our youngest teen played bass and our middle teen played guitar.

Click To Play

Hmmcast #180 downloads
Windows .wmv (1480×1080 HD) PSP .mp4 (480×272) iPod .mp4 (640×480)

It’s a live video with chat service (pictured above). You can view it below live, maybe, if I’m still broadcasting live when you read this.

One of the things that I like about this service is that it’s easy to setup. I set everything up that you see above in less than five minutes. One of my favorite features is the scripting function for overlays. You can insert RSS feeds which if you click through when it’s still live you’ll see tech headlines from the Google News RSS feed.

Auto-pilot when your show isn’t live
You can also arrange clips that you record live to show in the “auto-pilot” when your show isn’t live. Even if you missed when I was on there live you can see the recorded segment in rotation. I could go in there and add some Hmmcast videos as well. I’m going to play around with this more.

I didn’t like how the embed default code worked onload so I changed the variable on=false. This way you have to implicitly click the “on” button inside the post rather than just visiting the page and having it work.

Watch Hmmcast

Hmmcast #179 downloads
Windows .wmv (1480×1080 HD) PSP .mp4 (480×272) iPod .mp4 (640×480)

How does Super Mario Galaxy look with component video cable on HDTV?
A friend asked me to check out how Super Mario Galaxy looks on an HDTV with a component cable connection to the Wii. In one word: TERRIBLE. Maybe I have something set wrong, but here’s the setup:

- React component cable for the Wii
- 40″ Samsung LCD HDTV
- Nintendo Wii + Super Mario Galaxy

I’ll shoot some comparative video of other Nintendo Wii titles and then compare to Super Mario Galaxy in a future Hmmcast. I don’t think I’ve ever complained about graphics in a popular title, but I’m very disappointed in what I’m seeing. At worst it’s like looking at an overcompressed JPEG, at best, it’s still noticeable.

I doublechecked in the Wii options that the TV Resolution was set to 480p (it’s worse at the default 480i, naturally) and it’s not nearly as sharp. Maybe I should have left it on the old analog TV. The Wii stuff looks good on there. Or maybe I’m spoiled by the 720p and 1080p PS3 and Xbox 360 titles.