more on the imac gee five

a few other thoughts after looking at this picture for a short while:

why isn't apple using their wireless mice and keyboards with this computer? the cables in the back seem to go completely against the aesthetic they're going for (that being, as far as i can see, a clean and uncluttered setup). using wireless components would be the perfect ways to reduce cable clutter to only the power cable.

does apple actually write the text on the wall of the booth? or do they use projectors from overhead? they could likely save some money by projecting onto a simple background rather than having a wall printed every time. if they project from a high enough angle, there would be no one in the way to break up the image too.

the comments i made earlier about the computer's lack of balance come into play when you look at the vertical ports on the back, right side of the unit. i think it looks pretty silly to have the cables all coming out of that side, not to mention weighted when you consider that there will be keyboard, ipod, mouse, external drive, network, printer, random usb, dv camcorder, etc. cables pouring out of that side. also, and i've not had my hands on it yet, so i can't really say for certain, but all of those cables would severely hinder the unit's ability to rotate on the y-axis. depending on the set up, the unit would lose a fair amount of it's rotating power (when i'm saying rotate, i'm referring to it's tipping forward - up and down, it just makes the computer sound wealthy to say tipping power).

i think the perfect way for apple to brand this package is to offer a wireless package with it that includes the basic computer, plus an airport extreme, wireless mouse and wireless keyboard. that would be a) very freeing by way of reducing cable clutter and b) help them move product.

ahh. just some more thoughts. time to recharge the ipod. did you know that HellaPod can hold a solid charge for 7+ hours of continual play so far with ~20% to go? course, i'm basing that on about 4 pixels so it might be off by a bit. :)

frank, chris j., your names aren't on the to-evolt "confirmed and coming" list. wtfudge is up with that?

gee!

new imac released today at macworld paris and i've got to say that at first, i wasn't all over it.

the main problem i was having was the stand vs. the media-rom drive. i was worried that if someone tried to push in a disc, they'd topple their computers in the effot. i mean, i've one of the old slot-loader tangerine imacs (named tang imac, natch) and the drive's a little "chewy" in that sometimes it feels like i'm pushing a little hard to get that disc in there. either that or there's just a lot of mechanical things going on to pull the disc in. i'm nervous that the act of putting in a disc will cause the screen to wobble too much, or that people just won't want to reach up to put a disc in, or take one out.

i am also a little nervous by the shape. it think it's a bit bricky. i think if they're going to make a tablet, lose the back support.

that said, it's not a tablet. it's a desktop computer. time to look at the good things:

17 and 20" displays. their low-end is my high-end. brilliant decision to go with huge displays, and to have the computer mimic the new studio displays released a few months ago.

the ability to hang the display on the wall is a great idea, and really pushes apple into the "home entertainment" area people keep bugging them about. one of these on the wall next to the stereo components, at a trade show, or on the wall in the nurse's station in a hospital linked to patient monitors is the perfect place for this tool.

it's g5. in a megathin case. based on this, i'm not sure how far away powerbook g5s are, that is, as the u.s. prison system knows, a good thing.

in the end, i'm excited for these new systems and excited to read more about them as people get their hands on them.

what do you think of the new imac?

ate

ohyah, bbedit 8.0 is out. from the outset, it seems to have an incredible number of additions including one i've wanted for a while - a document drawer to keep track of all of your open files. the old, multi-window was was getting pretty lame. this new method of keeping all the files in in the same drawer, selectable now, seems cool enough.

while we're at it, barebones seems to have redesigned their web site as well (there are still some straggling pages), but things look pretty sharp. additionally, the bb logo seems to be become a red gear as well.

i never really liked the purple on purple thing anyway.

what do you think of bbedit 8.0's feature list? anything there you're keen on?

smellaPod

i've updated the splash page at the regularly-scheduled HellaBoss since the old one wasn't doing it for me anymore.

tonight is the first night since i started that i won't be running. after 5 days, i'll take a break on sunday nights and continue the rest of the week (that's the plan™, anyways).

at work, the mysql and php projects are going smootly, thanks for asking. and dubs - i accept your challenge. i need to charge my batts and i'll get snapping.

we need more people to go to toe-volt! if you haven't signed up yet, do so!

hottest news, anywhere!

well last night the niffer and i caught bjork's new song, oceania, on muchmusic and we were both blown away by it. what an amazing chorus. truth be told. i've been looking for the track in acquisition (which mac users should be using instead of that limewire tripe - though both connect to the limewire newtwork to do their jobs). it's not even in the itunes music store yet. boo-urns. if you get the chance, check out that track. the video is pretty brillant as well. reminds me lots of jens karlsson's work that i was coincidentally looking at yesterday.

hit up chapters and futureshop last night while my loverly wife hit up homesense last night. futureshop has griffin itrips for $59. i think the plan is to pick one up this weekend. its a great way to connect the ipod to the car stereo so we don't need to take cds with us anymore in the car. just a quick grab of the ipod on the way out the door and we're set.

<geek>
for those not in the know, the griffin itrip plugs into the top of an ipod and allows you to broadcast your playlist (or whatever) to a radio up to 30 feet away. the radio needs to be tuned to an fm station.
</geek>

chapters wasn't exciting. grabbed a few mac magazines (which are really all the same..), and a book called ipod secrets, then hunkered down into a wooden armchair (they used to be plush, but i guess too many people were sitting in them for too long). and started to read while i waited for the newly-housey-rechaged niffer to come back from her decor-hunt. she, like me, found nothing to whet her appetite.

and i finally unwrapped my powerblock from the ipod last night too to do some charging sans-computer.

flash things: last night before bed (and after my run), i hit up flash to play more with the drawing api and noodle around there. what i was playing with will be added to the orig. HellaBoss site when i get it fully devd.

where is that oceania track? last night i found a copy of it in .wav format on acquisition, but today it's vanished. figure i can get the track, import it to itunes and convert it to aac when i'm done. worry thyself not, icelandic princess - i'll buy medula when it comes out here, fo' sho' (50 cent in background now, sorry...).

<update>
you can go to bjork's web site and listen to the oceana track via a custom quicktime player she's there. seems to only be a short sample, however. you can watch the video tho.
</update>

small updates

yes, i've updated my user profile image. while i love the old one (it's currently my desktop at work and at home), i wanted to make something more personal.

and what's more personal than me sitting behind the handlebars of yoshi in my hellagreen jacket?

this update also makes better flow of my "a buddhist..." information too and doesn't make it go to another line.

in other news, tracy and i are going to toe-volt this year. i'm in charge of the driving and she's in charge of the map. should be big fun. if you're from the area and are keen to go, leave a comment and we'll see what we can do!

geeks, unite!

shuffle

can i shuffle a playlist on the ipod when listening to it or do i have to listen to the whole thing through?

< update >
yes you can. go to settings, find shuffle, choose "songs". guh.
< /update >

the playlists currently on HellaPod are:

Le Jazz: all the jazz i own is on my ipod. it seems to be good background music to be listening to while writing code. tracks include: best of the verve, dextoer gordon, etc.
Runner: includes songs that i listen to while running around the block(s) each night. tunes incl. les marmotte aplaits, the distillers, rancid, radiohead, etc.
Sort Me: all the unrated songs in my collection in one list. if i want to, i can listen to it, give it a rating, and have it update my machine. a good way to try to tame the 300+ songs that have no ratings.
Starstruck: songs rated with such as 5 stars. motorhead, radiohead, the rza, and more!
Twang: all the folk or country music in my collection. includes johnny cash, the be good tanyas, the o brother where art thou? soundtrack, oh sister!, etc.

what playlists do you have on yours?

hella three

running tonight and trying to figure out how to successfully carry the ipod without having it bounce around, or worse, drop out of my pocket. decided on a pullover hoodie thing with a front pouch that zips shut. while running, pulled the drawstring tight, which limited vertical bounce. horizontal was still there, but limited.

need a new carrier for it. started official™ drawings of the new carrier today at work during lunch.

this wednesday is my first reflexology appointment with the niffer's mom in a while. i've a stiff neck (niffer thinks from running..) that isn't going anywhere.

time for some water, some reading, and some sleep.

hellapod too!

i've noticed a few other things about HellaPod:

8) i'm trying to think of uses for it - i can't really use it while driving (certainly not the scooter), thought this morning i had 1 earphone in on my way driving in the car to work.
9) am i missing something, or is there no way to stop a song? i know you can pause, but stopping seems to be an issue.
10) the on-the-go playlist thing is neat, but i don't like things that add menus to my machines without asking me first.
11) i love adjusting the volume when a song starts. the wheel is brilliant. the clicking sound is brilliant.
12) why aren't there more games for the ipod! why isn't there a community devoted to making them up?
13) i want to touch the ipod. it is very sleek and sexy.
14) not sure what people are complaining aboot re: the headphones. i think they're great. i've already heard lots of little things in songs (like in some radiohead tracks) that i've never heard before, even in the car stereo.
15) i've started to create a carrying case of my own in my head that i want to try to sew up. in my head, it is small, and suited for running.

big thanks to tom for coming over on the weekend and helping us in the basement too.

hellapod

today i got an ipod. my pal raph and i had conspired to do work for an old client who still hadn't paid him, and therefore, me. we talked things over and decided that i'd take an ipod as payment for the work i did and raph can now go after him for the money owed.

the ipod is named HellaPod, natch. in my first few hours with the device, i've noticed a few things:

1) holy crap is it small. i mean, i've noodled with them in shops, but never held one in my hand. so very slim!
2) the device is a little misleading at first. i mean, when you read the manual, it tells you to plug it in and charge it (unless you're using a mac). then, plug it in, put in the ipod cd that came with it, etc. when i plugged it in, the system took over, asked me to register it, name it, synched my itunes playlist for the first time, and all before i could even look at the cd. i installed the software, then performed a system prefs/software update on it just in case.
3) it took me a bit to figure out how to mount it on the desktop.
4) i wasn't expecting the ipod widgets that appear in itunes when you plug it in.
5) it sure takes a while to charge! i wish on the "charging" screen, in addition to the charging-metre, it showed you a percent of charge it currently has.
6) yes, i'm aware of the code you can write to display the charge metre as a number /500.
7) i love it. while it might sound like i'm upset with the device, i actually do love it. it's small and over firewire, my entire itunes library (3 gigs of songs) was downloaded to the ipod in about 5 minutes. incredible.

also, i've started running. tonight was my 2nd night doing it. i'm trying to get 20 minutes under my belt before bed. it's certainly helping me sleep.

organise: home folder

currently contains (l-r, t-b): desktop, documents, downloads, games, library, movies, music, pictures, projects, public, sites, and type.

the home folder thing is a bit of an enigma to me. a long time ago, i tried to rename my documents folder with a lower-case "d" and the os created another documents folder with an uppercase one when i logged back in (something i haven't tried since). natch, that was back in os x 1.0.

many people i talk to don't quite get the home folder either and usually save their docs in the main hard drive directory (same with new applications). i usually recommend that they keep their docs in their root folder and put apps in the appropriate folders in the hdd directory. hasn't bugged me yet so i'll keep doing it.

i have a few "new" folders in the home directory, that is, folders that didn't come pre-installed: downloads, games, projects, and type.

the downloads folder houses just what is says it does. all files downloaded by me are dumped into this directory. from there, i unstuff 'em and do what i want with them. this folder is further broken down into: compressed files, disk images, icons sets, software packages, and quicken statements (which i never use). i have this feeling that i should move the icon sets from this folder but am not sure where to keep them. for a while i was keeping them in a subfolder of the pictures folder, but that didn't fly (thought i still keep my homemade icons in there for some reason, along with half of the illustrations i've done that i didn't put into my projects folder [for whatever reason]).

games breaks the previously-mentioned location convention and puts all my game apps in a folder that isn't the os x applications folder. this is something i saw daniel bogan do and decided to give it a whirl. so far, so good. and it's easier to get at them as well. this breaks my "put all your apps in the applications folder" cardinal rule, but it hasn't fudged me yet, so..

the projects directory is probably the worst organised folder on my hard drive. it contains applescripts, cocoa apps, started web-sites, retired sites, various hellaboss projects, scooter ones, icons i've created, and more. it is the one i'd love the most help with. maybe i'll do a big thing about it in coming weeks.

lastly, the type directory houses all of the type on my computer (to make things easy for suitcase). this folder is 438.5 megs in size. i don't like it where it is, but it beats the projects folder. i've been wondering if i could move it to the library folder that contains other fonts. i'm afraid that if i move the files into there, "bad things" could happen. thoughts on this? i've actually since moved the entire folder into library/fonts and it fudged up safari's displaying of arial typefaces (it was replaced with grafitti type). upon a moveback, things were fine and festive.

one of the most underused folders on my hard drive is my documents folder. in there, i keep vital bits of info like my resume, neighbourhood watch signup records, ms office records, and more. nothing serious. specifically, none of my projects. i have this feeling that i should be using this folder more and have been recently looking for ways to do it.

more notes: i also don't use the sites folder the way i think i should. all of the web sites i'm working on are kept in subfolders of the projects folder rather than in here. it's odd too, because this folder is php and mysql-enabled and the projects one isn't. especially in this respect, i'm in dire need of reorg help.

how do you organise your home folder? do you like to keep the folders in there to a minimum and get nervous when you see 10 items in there (like i often do)? or do you keep tonnes of folders in there and organise from the root level rather than from levels inside the default folder set?

toe volt

i've signed up for a hellasweet internet event: the t.o. evolt conference happening september 17-19th. both joe clark (not the ex-pm) and dan cederholm will be in attendance, speaking on various important topics.

be sure to check out their site for more details. for only $50 (cdn!) you can take part in an excellent opportunity to network with others in the field (and me!) and learn more about accessibility, standards, and usability.

and be sure to comment to this entry if you're going to be going to the event. i would love to meet you!

twisting ical away

i've become a teevee geek. i'm using ical to remember when both good eats and oliver's twist are on, but are grouped under a "teevee" label and are spattered across the month and week chart.

it's funny to see these specialty channels and just how much programming they don't have, when you look at their schedule across a week. oliver's twist is on 3x times tuesdays, all the same show, for example.

i noticed this repeat programming a long time ago on much music. they often repeat the same show 4 times a day, much like london's pop radio stations, when they can't afford to keep someone on staff 24 hours a day (go chrw!).

it's good, in a way, that this is done, however. for those who don't keep shows in ical (or their favorite [and less-terrific] calendaring app), if they miss the show because they didn't know when it was on, this is the perfect way to get to see a show. missing it isn't really an issue because they can wait a couple of hours and see the same show again.

the channel also has to get the money's worth out of the show. i'm sure they're paying big bucks for the oliver show (and alton's too, but likely oliver's moreso). in order to make it worth their purchase, they can put a show on 4 times a day and charge advertising fees to help pay for it.

i'm sure that, in the end, is what it's all about. they know they can charge advertisers for each broadcast because the show is so popular, so they put it on 4x per day. it's this overbroadcasting that's keeping the food network (and networks like it) afloat.

before you go off the deep end re: seeing the same show 10x per day, remember this post, log your fave shows in ical (you can get the broadcast times from foodtv.ca) and choose when you watch them.

organisation: the dock

currently contains (l-r): finder, safari, firefox, mail, xpad, bbedit, photoshop, illustrator, flash, system prefs, transmit, omnigraffle pro, address book, ichat, ical, colloquy, itunes, applescript editor, terminal, suitcase, quicken, halo, and the trash. whew.

my dock is the thing i possess that goes under the most reorganisation on a frequent basis. the translucent snake sitting at the bottom of my screen currently contains 23 items (one of which is the trash and one of which is the finder). the apps contained therein are the 23 items i open most frequently. some things come and go (like colloquy [the purple globe]) and others never change (bbedit, transmit, photoshop).

i usually try to group items together in the dock with internet-related apps to the left and "other" apps to the right. the order of items changes frequently, however, and sometimes i organise everything alphabetically, or by most-used apps going from left to right. other times, an app that i am keen on at the moment (flash mx 2004 pro is the best example of this) will sit in my dock waiting for me to use it and i don't, so i retire it the way of the puffysmoke.

right now, things are organised loosely in a "most-used apps from left to right" thing. i am not sure how long that will last. please share a) your dock and/or b) your reasoning for how you keep it organised with me and others. thanks in advance!

the great macintosh query

i love to (try to) organise. and reorganise. and reorganise again. and i'm never happy. i look at my root folder and try to figure out a better way to classify the way i keep files straight.

in the neverending pursuit to find the best way possible to organise my home folder on my mac, over the next week or two, i'll be baring my digital core to you. that's right - garbo will be doing a striptease for you, your mac, and your sanity.

if you're a mac user, please take snaps of your home folder, upload them to your own web server, and post a link to that directory. everyone can use a good lesson in reorganisation. plus, it's a good way to see how the jones' keep their system straight.

in upcoming posts, i'll show you my dock if you show me yours (or maybe just 1 big screengrab to show you how i do things, including naming conventions, and some sample files), an in-depth snap of my home folder, a few folders, my mail(box) setup, and my the few notes i've got stored in xpad - maybe even my killer photographs directory (oh dear, master luke).

like i said, i'm never happy with the way things are. i always want to move forward. i'm looking to others in the mac community to help out. not only to help me get things under better control, but to help each other. thanks in advance.

waiting woes

last night i took my scooter in to hullygully (a local honda dealership and the site where i bought the bike) for its first service appointment. i got to park it in the motorcycle parking-only section of the parking lot, which was a sweet little thing. i was feeling good about things and went inside.

<backstory>
some back story: i booked the appt. a week ago, for 6pm yesterday. they wanted me to come in a 5pm but i didn't get off work until then. so i put it off until 6. turns out yesterday i left a little early because i always get to work at 8.30am when i'm supposed to start at 9. by the time i'd arrived at hg, i was about 45 minutes early. when i was called with a confirmation of the appointment, they had said 5pm and i called them to make sure of the time. they said it was 6, but they just write down 5(?).
</backstory>

i got there, told them i was there, they pulled the bike around to the back (after i showed the mechanic that there was a kickstand lock in the seat - that he had no idea about - a bit of a bad sign?) and told me that they'd get to it soon and let me know when it was ready.

i was told on the phone that the check-up was supposed to take 1 hour. it took almost 2. i waited in the customer service corral where 2 vending machines and a pile of unkept bike and decorating mags (!?) and 2 older guys were talking about bikes. one looked like the dad from the american chopper tv show (it wasn't) and the other guy was a salesman from cambridge who came to pick up a bike he'd ordered a couple of days ago, which was supposed to be in the day before.

the 3 of us waited. and waited. and waited. we talked about things and they asked me about my scooter. i found out a few things - like how synthetic oil would be great for my scooter to keep it clean, and how hg has messed over people in the past (namely those 2 gentlemen). i found out that dover was happening (today) and that neither of them was going (but oddly, the american chopper guys were supposed to be!).

2 hours later, myself and the non-ac-dad went to the service area to talk to the guys and started harassing them, joking around about when our bikes would be ready. we figured that the length of time it would take to do his bike would be halved for them to do my bike since there wasn't much to it. we were both wrong.

eventually (after wandering the boating section and looking at some fun boats, atvs, and hella-expensive full helmets [$500+]) i saw a mechanic wheel my bike into the loading bay (we were peeking through the door to the loading bay). he took the bike, rode it around the building and parked it at the side door. the guy who took it originally gave me the lowdown and the bill ($95) and my keys back.

i took off on the bike. things were great. until i had to stop for the first time. the brakes had been squeaking lately and i asked them to clean them. when i braked the first time, it felt like i had no brakes left. i had to clamp down hellatight on them to get any kind of stopping done (after this morning's rain-soaked ride, they are working fine [?], thanks for asking).

<moral of the story>
hg might be the best place to go to see a selection of scooters (though last night theirs was terrible), anything beyond looking at bikes is a pipedream. go somewhere else. like inglis cycle for purchasing, mechanical, installation, etc.
</moral of the story>

ask me about my hg experience with yoshi's windshield installation sometime, mm? or my wife's mom's experience with her trunk-mate? or the oddness with the honda seat last night? jeeze.

i also took down HellaBoss

for the time being, HellaBoss is sleeping quietly under a green veil with a bluebird stamped on it, whose thoughts are spiraling into the ether as it contemplates nirvana. you can see the bird in my blogger profile (or you can click here to visit HellaBoss and see it for yourself).

if you've come here from there, please make a post to tell me so. unlike other blogger accounts, you don't need to be a member to post here.

in other news, i was contacted today by a mac games dev joint who have asked me to donate my services as a prize for a contest they're having. quite an honour. i have accepted. :)

sweet potatoe

alton was all over the orange spuds tonight and i was all over taking my cat to the vet's beforewhich he clawed my forearm and hand, peed in my car and pooped in the device we use to take them places.

and i felt terrible. the entire way he was trying and moaning like i was poking him with terrible knives. i tried talking to him, but it fell on deaf ears. he wasn't keen to the idea. trick is, he's not really very perky typically. he's a very laid-back cat who takes things as they come. he's very easy going, until you try to stick him headfirst into a canvas bag. sounds mean, but the bag is a special cat-carrying one so i'm not being a jerk.

when i left him at the vet, i was the one crying in the car all the way home. i felt terrible and figured he thought i was taking him back to the shelter where we got him because he wasn't working out for us. the opposite is true. i will be very sad if i outlive him and need to put him to sleep.

mo' mopey, mo' mopey

that's right. if you've come here from HellaBoss, the site is currently sleeping as i decide what to do with it. i'm taking a bit of a breather while i sit and stew and wish i had mysql access. i'm afraid i can't afford to swap hosts now, regardless of the low cost of things (thanks anyways, matthew!).

i've been feeling a bit crunchy lately as well since a few of the shirt-wanters have backed out, leaving me with less than the minimum number i can order. while i can go ahead with it, and it's not that i don't want to take a loss (though, see previous paragraph's last sentence), it's that i don't want to charge people more money than i'd originally told them i would. gew.

and matthew, you can now get your atom on with this blogger thing. ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out. :)

in other, more positive news, the food channel tonight was delightful (dolce vita and french leave), and yoshi got a) out for a neighbourhood stroll and scrubdown and b) an appointment booked for his first tune-up.

downtown, alton brown

mom,

so, there's this guy i like on television.

not being one to really watch television (or eat half the things he makes on said digibox), i'm not sure where all this has stemmed from. but, there's this guy, and that's that.

his show is on the food channel and it's called "good eats". his name is alton. yes, i know that's an odd name (and now that i think of it, i also know that i am not gay), but his last name helps to ground him, "brown". yes, alton brown is my television superhunk. he is my daytime television, my wife's late-night insanity, and my "i'm not really sure when his show is on television because i watch the box so infrequently and have only seen 3 or 4 episodes as it turns out anyways" guy.

yes, it's true. i've only seen his show a few times. but from the first time out, i was hooked. even when he was cooking meat (which i'm not too keen on for those who don't know). his entire episode on toast made me want to eat an entire loaf of the flaky stuff. an entire episode on nuts where a puppet squirrel kept stealing them all? brilliant.

i think his show reminds me of the kids shows i used to watch when i was a kid and less critical than i am now. those shows where you just sit back, learn something, and have fun (like i used to do with sesame street - i'd recite the french things they talked about until i was promptly put "outside to play" by whomever had the misfortune to be watching me that day).

a week ago, i discovered a link to his web site from a forgotten source and hit it up right away. i checked out his "must have" list, his entire blog (in which there is a double-post, alton), and have safely stayed away from the alton-gear hiding in the shopping section of the site. i am keen to add items from his must have list to my amazon wishlist despite the fact that i cook very rarely (well, anything not pre-packaged, that is).

i've been watching the food channel for a month or so lately and i am a fan of about 3 or 4 shows (christina cushing can blow it out her arse, by the by), but alton tops my cake. this channel has given me a new perspective on life with some new ideas on food.

i've made the jalepno grilled cheese, the (failed) vegetable stew, the (succeeded) toasted bread, nut-based trail mixes, moy's (hella-successful) hallowe'en nachos, and that's about it. i'm keen to try other things and get my hands messy, but time just does not permit. that, or i'm having too difficult a time coming up with things to make during the day (driving to the market after work on the scooter - an ultra-trendy activity - is not a problem at all. i go right past it on my way home).

it's funny, mom, because i watch the food channel whenever i turn on the television (and if i see a familiar face there), and i can't seem to recall any recipies or things made to make myself.

anyways, yes mom, i am still happily married to the niffer and she is HellaBoss. yes mom, i am eating all my vegetables, and yes mom, this mr. brown thing is a phase that i will grown out of.

i hope.

yours,
-moy

apple deal

best buy of canada's ibook deal seems to be incredibly popular. a friend of mine went into the shop to request one and she's been put on a raincheck for the item and the deal. the store manager said that they're being overwhelmed with requests for the deal (14" ibook and free ipod for $1499 cdn) in all of the best buy stores.

good for apple, i'd say.

voiceless in seattle

okay, so i'm not in seattle. but i am voiceless. a steady weekend of coaching on top of the sickness i was talking about last week leaves me whispy and distant this week. it's monday morning and as i arrived at work, i am unable to speak very loudly, and my voice comes in and out. ta-ra-ra! good thing i don't need to talk on the phone.

using ical, i created my week's to-do list while my wife is away at her parent's house looking after their dog. i always get inspired to get down to things after a a coaching outing. natch, a few of those things are to go and visit the niffer, but most others are around-the-house things that anyone can do (except the cats - they've been very lazy lately..).

jenny said the bbq went well on the weekend and that she had fun lazing around the house, burning weeds, and gardening. she keeps getting lots of great comments about the front yard from passersby while she's working. and it's all warranted - she's really doing an incredible job out there. i built the path, and planted 5 trees, but everything else is her.

yoshi goes in for his first checkup this thursday (as recorded in ical) and i'm looking forward to it. i can ask about squeaking brakes (likely from when i wash him and didn't dry things properly). speaking of which, i need to add 'wash yoshi' to my to-do list.

so, if you'll excuse me..

starting off on a sick-note.

friday morning and all is well. i bravely rode yoshi to work today and he handled like a dream. i was passed illegally by 2 guys in a mercedes, but no need to bicker aboot it. i also (gasp!) downloaded interpol's last album via acquisition last night. i had no idea that i was going to buy it today, but i am, so i can delete the tracks. it's a great album with lots of great tunes. i think i like british sea power better, but what can you do?

on the subject of downloading music

yes, i do it. i download music. of the ~3000 tracks on garbo, about 15 of them are downloaded (add to that the interpol tracks). sometimes (as in the case of interpol), i download an entire album and listen to it for a week, then run out and buy it. most of the tracks on my computer are tunes from my own collection. i think downloading tracks is a valuable resource for the music-hungry consumer who can see if a disc is good enough to purchase.

i understand the idea that the music industry is losing money because of music downloads. i can't help but think that television shows like mtv cribs can't be doing much to help them justify the costs of music vs. downloading.

if you watch a show like that, where some musician you've never heard of before has a 55, 000 square foot mansion, plasma tvs on every wall (including the ceiling) and 2 bottles of water and 64 cans of mountain dew in the fridge, you can't help but wonder how much of a dent the downloading scene is having on "the man".

i've talked to people about this point, saying that when people (especially young people) see this show, i'm not sure they are inspired to buy cds. while those i've talked to talk about the fact that it's all borrowed money and that if their next disc does poorly, they'll be serving burgers at wendy's, i don't think the average person realises it. it's hard to understand a lifestyle when the people you appreciate are so high over your (financial) head.

in other news, today's bestbuy flyer has a huge "we now carry apple products!" bit in it, and a deal on the back page that you wouldn't see unless you were keen. buy a new ibook g4 and get a free 15g ipod! daang. if only my a/c hadn't conked out. what a great deal. sorry garbo - i love you, baby.

i just finished phase one..

..of a flash app that sits on my desktop and allows me to mail messages home to myself. the app is great because all day long i tend to make little notes to myself that i wish i had at home. this way, i can do it.

the app is built with macromedia flash mx 2004 pro and uses php to collect the data in the flash-based form and turn it into an email. inspired by tracy's geekery.

hella sick at work today

got to work quietly, barely able to see the road as i drove (i didn't take the scooter, just in case) as i'm the kind of sick where you're barely able to comprehend the outside world.

last night, i hit the sack at 9pm and don't remember anything beyond that. on the weekend, we went camping (where i didn't get much sleep..), and 2 nights ago, went to the drive in where we didn't get home until 2am. on the way home from the movie(s), i noticed that i was getting a sore throat.

today, i woke with it. and barely woke up at all. from tossing and turning all night my back is sore. i feel cold and can barely keep my eyes open. and it's just 8.30am. while i would have stayed home today, i'm taking tomorrow afternoon off so i can go to kitchener to coach our special olympics provincial qualifier matches. taking today off and then tomorrow afternoon off seems a little shady to me.

when was the last time you were sick?

lots of fun with it

having fun with my latest project at work - namely, the creation of a new satellite web site for which i've put up only a splash page so far. now that the company's main site is finished (phase 1 complete in 1 month!), i can go back to the first one while planning phase 2. there is lots of work to do for this project, but i'm having fun with helvetica and large type. whee! if i like it enough, i'll link to it when i'm finished with it, mm?

add illustrating carried products and bright colours, and this site is fun and rocking.

wtfudge? first post!

haven't posted to blogger in such a long time. used to have a blog forever ago, but the account name, etc. was lost to the ether. after my pal tracy (crashoverride.ca) got her site up and going (and since it requires a blogger account to make reply posts to it), i decided to go for it again.

not sure how long i'll keep up this posting, but should be fun.

update: i've since updated my user profile as well with some interests. if you're that keen, be sure to have a look at me on friendster.

also, while you're at it, you should know that i'm considering using this blogger tool as my main weblogging feature and using my main web site (hellaboss.com) as a portfolio site of sorts to feature/showcase my fun work and projects.