Category: Technology

The vast coolness of the internet archive

I screwed up the podcast’s RSS feed for iTunes, so at some point today I’m gonna fix that. The software I used to create the XML file for the RSS feed is little confusing. I’m hosting the mp3 file over at the Internet Archive and the iTunes music store is looking for the file on my tedfoo.net servers which isn’t correct because the forms on the XML generator were um, misleading. It should be easy enough to fix though now that I’ve seen the error of my ways. I apologize for an inconvenience this may have caused you. All three of you. Ha ha.

But the real reason for this post isn’t to illustrate my technical incompetency but to let you in on the vast coolness of the Internet Archive. I took a deeper look after I signed up for an account to host my podcast file. It has web, audio, video and text available for browsing and downloading. You can even submit your own media for posterity. The IA’s mission is clearly stated on the right side of the page:

The Internet Archive is building a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Like a paper library, we provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public.

But what is really cool about this historical-minded outpost of the internet? The live music files and audio. I found this audio track and it totally rules and is not boring.

Oh and the books are totally readable right from your computer. It offers a wide range of different viewing formats. Including the original scans in a “flip book” format. It seriously rules. I really can’t say how much I think this site totally rules. It’s much cooler than web 2.0 apps.

Pay attention

So my acid stomach came up like a rogue wave this morning causing a near panic, “Abandon ship! Abandon ship!” I hopped out of bed, threw on my life jacket, and turned my computer on. I’m thinking about having some tea because I’ve missed the point of return for sleep.

I learned a little something about Apple’s iDVD yesterday. You need DVD-R to burn the final project, not DVD+R. That’s minus, not plus. Unless of you have iLife 06. Then you’re fine. So when your computer keeps spitting out your disc and asking for a blank DVD-R, it’s not kidding.

Sick Chick and Upgrade Twitters

I did the noble thing and opted out of the Merry Murray Christmas Celebration. I’m a sick chick (again). Most people would say you shouldn’t let a cold stop you from living your life. To that I say, bullshit. If you’re a frequent reader of my blog you will know that I am the drama queen of sickness. It’s my right.

So, I decided to do a little upkeep and upgrading around the house and online. Assembled Rhen’s toy storage rack (9 mos. old and he already has 12 bins full of toys) and upgraded to WordPress 2.0 (more on that later).

Leisure pursuits of the day have been spent watching the digitally remastered version of Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. Wow. It is sooo good. Remastered, Kubrick’s choices of color/tones (everything has just this creepy precise glow) and sound just come screaming out of the screen. Chilling to say the least. So Paula, come down and we will watch. So good! Yes, I’m gushing. Oh and Nicholson? Yeah, I’m a believer again. Especially the bar scene. I’m watching it right now. It’s my favorite part.

All twittery upgrading to WordPress 2.0. I broke the site for like, 10 minutes because I forgot to copy a new folder over to the root directory. Oops. So, when I deleted the old directory and uploaded the new one I said a small prayer to whatever saint loves geeks and refreshed the path to the upgrade file. All systems go. And for that I was glad. Like I said, I am sick and didn’t know if I had the personal energy to troubleshoot anything more than a broken file path. Even the thought of the upgrade made me shake and sweat a little. I had some fun though. I backed up the entire site before the upgrade and I even backed up my database as recommended by the good folks at WordPress. All new to me. They have the best instructions. See the WordPress Codex if you have any questions about upgrading to 2.0.

I’m still reeling at this digitally remastered version of The Shining. The bathroom scene where he makes out with the dead decaying starlet. OMfG. The creepiest green and yellow ever. I just got chills. People you need to see this version if you love horror, Kubrick or The Shining!

Ending this post without gushing about the movie is becoming harder than I thought.

So, I would like to take this time to wish all of my readers a very happy New Year. All the best from our family to yours. Cheers!

Coonhound reset

Hey hey! So, I’m all twittery because WordPress (the blogging software I use for tedfoo.net) will update its software soon, which means I will be compelled to do it too, and have all sorts of problems. Hopefully it will go smoothly and not like, break everything. I hate that the most. First off, I ‘ll have to see if the new features are worth (possibly) breaking the site.

So the other day I was thinking about our coonhound, Owen. He’s an odd duck. During the day, he’s very meek and needy. If I even lightly, barely, slightly catch his toe under my foot (and it’s easy to do, since he’s always by my side) he will run to the phone and dial the humane society. Also he does this super annoying side stepping scurry away which reminds me of an injured spider. Tail between legs, spirit oddly deflated. Nails on wood floor. Clickclickclick. Dial tone. Ugh.

However, at night he has a strange polarity shift in temperament. He goes from meek to being a complete and total ass. If I come to bed and disturb him under the covers, all hell breaks loose. Deep rumbling growling builds to an all out bitchfest at my expense. Then he shucks himself out from underneath the covers and does what we call a “reset” in which he demands his place back underneath the covers. Watching Owen do a reset is like, watching the final moments of child birth. Out pops his head and then he slowly pushes himself out from underneath the covers in one slick movement before unceremoniously plopping himself to the floor below. It is simultaneously beautiful and disgusting to watch.