On the 16th of next month, I'll be going on a week long vacation to Hawii, with a few days in Las Vagas as well.
Now, normally such a vacation would mean that my updates to this site would go to slow to nothing at all, but I'm going to try to post using my cell phone and my hand held computer, and also putting up some pictures as I go.
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Moments in Time
Timing is everything - Gallery you don't want to miss!
A collection of photographs taken in mid action. Popping baloons, glasses in mid-shatter and more.
Very, very geeky, but some are very lovely to look at.
A collection of photographs taken in mid action. Popping baloons, glasses in mid-shatter and more.
Very, very geeky, but some are very lovely to look at.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Atomic History
1958 WS Underwater explosion + cloud engulfs US Navy drone target ship / Eneweta - Google Video
Don't know about dail up, but on my connection it was very quick. I think even you phone line folks. This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. Bits of history, odd facts, fractions of reality... this is what IPTV will mean. Quilting contests in OH, The winning apple pie contestent in LA explaining her winning ways... or the results of an underwater atomic bomb test from 1958.
You'd never see this on CNN, or your local news. But really... would you consider yourself more informed on the issue of atomic power after seeing this secondary effect of an atomic bomb, whatever your views on how such power should be used?
Besides that... man, that is a cool video!
Don't know about dail up, but on my connection it was very quick. I think even you phone line folks. This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. Bits of history, odd facts, fractions of reality... this is what IPTV will mean. Quilting contests in OH, The winning apple pie contestent in LA explaining her winning ways... or the results of an underwater atomic bomb test from 1958.
You'd never see this on CNN, or your local news. But really... would you consider yourself more informed on the issue of atomic power after seeing this secondary effect of an atomic bomb, whatever your views on how such power should be used?
Besides that... man, that is a cool video!
Monday, January 16, 2006
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Let's Give Credit to Even Crazy People...
Treehugger: Tired of Living on Earth? Build Your Own Island!
Hey, I couldn't do it, or even recomend it. But hey, let's accept he is nuts, and just give him credit for hard work, imagination and a calling to his own true faith.
Don't like modern culture or devices, and want to not damage the envirment? Then create your own 'island'.
Hey, I couldn't do it, or even recomend it. But hey, let's accept he is nuts, and just give him credit for hard work, imagination and a calling to his own true faith.
Don't like modern culture or devices, and want to not damage the envirment? Then create your own 'island'.
More IPTV Goodness...
Crazy Shirt Folding - Google Video
Remember what I told you? Simple TV show, showing some simple thing you are good at, from some no name person from the middle of nowhere?
Learn to fold a tee shirt in seconds from a faceless woman in Japan. Not in english, but it doesn't need to be. Just watch the video. I don't fold any of my clothes, and even I'm impressed and moved to almost try this.
Might do so for my vacation. Folded Tee Shirts, here I come!!
Remember what I told you? Simple TV show, showing some simple thing you are good at, from some no name person from the middle of nowhere?
Learn to fold a tee shirt in seconds from a faceless woman in Japan. Not in english, but it doesn't need to be. Just watch the video. I don't fold any of my clothes, and even I'm impressed and moved to almost try this.
Might do so for my vacation. Folded Tee Shirts, here I come!!
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Umm... Did you say IPTV?
Could This Woman Drive Broadband TV?
The story in the link above is about a very popular IPTV show. IPTV is just a term that we funny looking word loving geeks have for Internet protocol TV. Which means, basically, TV over the Internet.
It's slow starting, but don't be mistaken, this is a bigger change than when the normal 4 or 5 channel system switched towards a 300 channel pay model.
So, after a bold statement like that, I'm sure you want me to back it up. sigh... so annoying...
OK, here are a few examples. Your grand kids here yet another call out to Gilligan's Island. Tired of not getting it all (Ummm... why is saying "Little Buddy" funny?). So, one trip to their computer, and a small payment, and they have ten select episodes of the actual show. Then they can poke lots of fun at you for watching such a stupid show.
OK... I can here that sigh all the way over here. "Gee... so everyone can watch all those dumb TV shows on a computer... you are excited over this?"
Yeah, I am. But I'm looking at the bigger picture. You see, we are going to get all those broadcast/cable shows on demand first. But that is only because that is the only way big companies can think, really. And hey, that isn't a bad thing. Even shows that were good but never found a fan base can find fame and more later, even years later. Family Guy got a new season due to it's surprising DVD sales. Firefly got a whole movie based on the same.
But that is just a small part of it. A few months ago, my whole apartment was evacuated. They found strange looking chemicals in our dumpster. And because we are nuts and hung around watching the fun while others went to bars or friend's houses (it was kind of cold that night) we all ended up on TV. I was able to send a link to the new stories that showed us to all my family and friends. So people in other states could see it. If I knew of someone in some other country, that could have happened too.
I think I still here that sigh. I think that the only reason you aren't impressed with such a local news story getting seen around the world is that we are all getting used to such because of the multiple 24 hour news stations now. But think about it... it also means that we all have access to the local news stories of that Iraq news station on an event that effects us all... from their viewpoint. Or that we can see what Greek news channels are saying about other things.
And even with that, the viewpoint is still to small, too focused. The corporate broadcast side of this is important, but not everything. The real push will come from the ability of normal people, those not paid for by broadcast companies, will be able to post their own TV shows about what THEY think, or about what they do.
Your TV show about crafts that teach 5 year olds lessons might be very small... but if it's available all over the globe, then you don't need to drag in a huge percentage of a limited population. Ten people in this city, a hundred there... and hey, they seem to like us in Japan for some reason. It's much easier to find your people.
It's also a matter of device... you'll be able to see these shows on your cell phone, on your portable computer and ... and here is the key... even on your TV. This is the key, becuase when watching some odd show that some nobody in Merryville, LA made, but which is funny and well worth watching, on your normal TV, then it becomes normal. Then seeing some strange vid off the net isn't strange... it's like watching regular TV.
Just like most things, it isn't just a matter of technology. It also requires a change in culture. But I'm already seeing the first signs of this.
HDTV watching pets...
My Cat Is Watching HDTV!
OK, this story works for me on two levles. First of all, it's an odd story about the effects of high tech in ordinary lives, and it points towards possible further changes. It makes one think about the good and ill of those changes, and consider what the future holds.
Oh.. and it's a totally cool weird animal story! Wheee!
OK, this story works for me on two levles. First of all, it's an odd story about the effects of high tech in ordinary lives, and it points towards possible further changes. It makes one think about the good and ill of those changes, and consider what the future holds.
Oh.. and it's a totally cool weird animal story! Wheee!
Sunday, January 08, 2006
wynkoop post office demolition
wynkoop post office demolition - Google Video
This is for my local friends. A short vid clip of the Wynkoop post office being torn down. It's kind of weird seeing... there was a time I went to this office at least once a day when working for Bradford Publishing.
By the way, Google Video is a great service, offering up the strangest bits of video. I wasn't even looking for this, but I guess that is the wonder of the net.
This is for my local friends. A short vid clip of the Wynkoop post office being torn down. It's kind of weird seeing... there was a time I went to this office at least once a day when working for Bradford Publishing.
By the way, Google Video is a great service, offering up the strangest bits of video. I wasn't even looking for this, but I guess that is the wonder of the net.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Trinidad's Pitch Lake
Trinidad's Pitch Lake
Some really amazing pictures of a lake of tar, and some interesting bits of information on how such a lake acts.
Very strange.
Some really amazing pictures of a lake of tar, and some interesting bits of information on how such a lake acts.
Very strange.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Perfect New Year's Picture!!!
Unexplained Mysteries :: Paranormal Image Gallery - Manned Space Flight/Sonic Boom
Picture of space shuttle going super sonic! What a great image for the new year!
Picture of space shuttle going super sonic! What a great image for the new year!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
eHow.com - Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything
eHow.com - Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything
Very helpful site. find help with complex tasks or even those so simple you were afraid to ask for. Easy search, and it's broken down by category very nicely as well.
And this is NOT just for computer tasks. Check it out.
Very helpful site. find help with complex tasks or even those so simple you were afraid to ask for. Easy search, and it's broken down by category very nicely as well.
And this is NOT just for computer tasks. Check it out.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Silly Link Post
For my third post, I'll break the rules I set for myself. Not only is this a link post, but it's a silly, geeky one. One of my favorate sites is Digg, a site that lets geeks share links. Fun site, and one even the non-geeks can enjoy.
So, while walking home today, I saw this flyer.
Dumb, silly and unforgivable. Forgive me?
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
A Piece of Empty Space
So, why 'own' your own domain name? After all, these days you can get almost any service from the net without one. You can even have your own web page without one. That is even more true today than before.
But there are some real, practical reasons why you might want to have one... and maybe some that aren't as practical. I'll go into a few of them tonight.
But before that, bear this in mind. It's easy, and it's cheap. I got the start of this one up done in a day, and that included fixing two issues. Usually it would take you just an hour or two. And it costs me, all told, about 20 dollars. So, no super geeks needed.
The most practical use for your own domain is email. Sure, these days free email services with tons of features are everywhere. But with your own domain, you gain some advantages. The first one you notice is control. You can pick any name you want. There will be no need to come up with johnsmith56846 or some other typographical nightmare. When you use a popular service, you are literally compeating for a good name with millions of other people. With your own, you can literally own your own name again. And you also have a stronger level of control on how your email operates. Hey, it's yours, right? This is great if you have a family. You'll feel better about your kids having email when you can access the control panel.
There is a less practial, though no less real advantage. Sometimes some people make judgments based on where you get your service. It's silly, but it happens. Having aol.com at the end of your address seems to trigger this more often than most, and back when google mail was still in beta and hard to get, my gmail.com had a slight positive one. With your own, you avoid this.
And let's admit the best advantage... it's cool. Who needs AOL or MSN, anyway?
Now, what good is a domain name if you don't have a page? When you have a page on some service, your site name always gets second billing, and this can lead to a very hard to type and remember URL, filled with periods, slashes and numbers. Who needs that? Can you even figure out how to say it? Me, I just say "Yeah, it's Maximumwords.com... check it out sometime. I've got two whole posts up so far!"
Oh, and then there are those practical things, like more control of what you have on your page and how it works, and stuff like that. The little things. Some services tend to limit stuff like this. It's much better to have control of your site, rather than just having limited access to someone else's.
And then there is what is likely the least practial, but I think the most important, reason. If you have been just a user of the net, getting news from cnn.com and search from google.com, I think you are missing a key part of what the net is. Certianly, the utility that the net offers is amazing. You can pay bills, get the local news from small town in a Pacific island and more. The power of the net is that anyone, not just big companies, can use it. Unlike TV, or newspapers, or book publishing, the net is open. I can spend 50 bucks and put up a site that looks just as good as one CNN has. Now, to do so, you still have to be creative and put some work in.
But the dividing line is that... not having a printing press, or owning a TV station. And better yet, after you put up your first web page, and load it up on your favorite browser, the next time you are at CNN.com, you can say "Ehh... not bad. But I could do that."
But there are some real, practical reasons why you might want to have one... and maybe some that aren't as practical. I'll go into a few of them tonight.
But before that, bear this in mind. It's easy, and it's cheap. I got the start of this one up done in a day, and that included fixing two issues. Usually it would take you just an hour or two. And it costs me, all told, about 20 dollars. So, no super geeks needed.
The most practical use for your own domain is email. Sure, these days free email services with tons of features are everywhere. But with your own domain, you gain some advantages. The first one you notice is control. You can pick any name you want. There will be no need to come up with johnsmith56846 or some other typographical nightmare. When you use a popular service, you are literally compeating for a good name with millions of other people. With your own, you can literally own your own name again. And you also have a stronger level of control on how your email operates. Hey, it's yours, right? This is great if you have a family. You'll feel better about your kids having email when you can access the control panel.
There is a less practial, though no less real advantage. Sometimes some people make judgments based on where you get your service. It's silly, but it happens. Having aol.com at the end of your address seems to trigger this more often than most, and back when google mail was still in beta and hard to get, my gmail.com had a slight positive one. With your own, you avoid this.
And let's admit the best advantage... it's cool. Who needs AOL or MSN, anyway?
Now, what good is a domain name if you don't have a page? When you have a page on some service, your site name always gets second billing, and this can lead to a very hard to type and remember URL, filled with periods, slashes and numbers. Who needs that? Can you even figure out how to say it? Me, I just say "Yeah, it's Maximumwords.com... check it out sometime. I've got two whole posts up so far!"
Oh, and then there are those practical things, like more control of what you have on your page and how it works, and stuff like that. The little things. Some services tend to limit stuff like this. It's much better to have control of your site, rather than just having limited access to someone else's.
And then there is what is likely the least practial, but I think the most important, reason. If you have been just a user of the net, getting news from cnn.com and search from google.com, I think you are missing a key part of what the net is. Certianly, the utility that the net offers is amazing. You can pay bills, get the local news from small town in a Pacific island and more. The power of the net is that anyone, not just big companies, can use it. Unlike TV, or newspapers, or book publishing, the net is open. I can spend 50 bucks and put up a site that looks just as good as one CNN has. Now, to do so, you still have to be creative and put some work in.
But the dividing line is that... not having a printing press, or owning a TV station. And better yet, after you put up your first web page, and load it up on your favorite browser, the next time you are at CNN.com, you can say "Ehh... not bad. But I could do that."
Monday, December 26, 2005
First Posts Are No Fun
So, I've done the blogging thing before, crashed and burned, and lost the domain name. But now I'm back, and the only people that care are the 5 people that ever read my blog (Hi, Mom!). So... now what?
In that other non-fun first post, I made a point of saying that good blogs had a focus, and that I would break that rule. Lame joke, but it was on me... a focus is good, even if it's a broad one.
So, I do have one this time. Before, I ended up just link blogging, putting out interesting sites I found. My main idea was putting out sites that my less than obsessive friends and family haven't found but might like out there for them. Fun, but not real creative, and it didn't really do what I started the site for... to push my writting skills some.
So this time I'm going to do the link blogging... hey, it's fun, and it fits my focus. And I have to do something with all this stuff floating about my brain. Before, I was aiming things at newbies... but today there aren't that many new people when it comes to the net. When you run across someone without an email, it's like running across someone without a phone number.
But those using the web everyday miss out on useful, or fun, or even important, things that they could be doing. And there are complex issues out there that never get on that 4 minute internet story on the local news. But many will effect you... you just won't know it till it does.
But I do... or at least I know some of it. And I hit the feeds hard trying to learn more. And I'll try to distill that here.
The net isn't about geeks anymore... it's about grandmothers IMing their grand kids, Mom's downloading music to listen to when washing cloths, contruction workers checking sports scores on there cell phones, and more.
In that other non-fun first post, I made a point of saying that good blogs had a focus, and that I would break that rule. Lame joke, but it was on me... a focus is good, even if it's a broad one.
So, I do have one this time. Before, I ended up just link blogging, putting out interesting sites I found. My main idea was putting out sites that my less than obsessive friends and family haven't found but might like out there for them. Fun, but not real creative, and it didn't really do what I started the site for... to push my writting skills some.
So this time I'm going to do the link blogging... hey, it's fun, and it fits my focus. And I have to do something with all this stuff floating about my brain. Before, I was aiming things at newbies... but today there aren't that many new people when it comes to the net. When you run across someone without an email, it's like running across someone without a phone number.
But those using the web everyday miss out on useful, or fun, or even important, things that they could be doing. And there are complex issues out there that never get on that 4 minute internet story on the local news. But many will effect you... you just won't know it till it does.
But I do... or at least I know some of it. And I hit the feeds hard trying to learn more. And I'll try to distill that here.
The net isn't about geeks anymore... it's about grandmothers IMing their grand kids, Mom's downloading music to listen to when washing cloths, contruction workers checking sports scores on there cell phones, and more.
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