Posts for October 2006

Just found Magnatune podcasts

I've been trolling Creative Commons music sites recently looking for music to play in my blog (both as a base track, and as in-cast music). Magnatune always shows up high on any such list...John Buckman has done an absolutely outstanding job with this company. He completely and totally groks the concepts of distributing and promoting music in the 21st century, and has some great stuff. Indeed, I noted that some of the new authors that have been added since the last time I was there looked promising.

While checking out the new stuff, I bumped into a couple of services I hadn't noticed before (they may not be new...I'm just slow sometimes).

Awesome. Thanks, Magnatune! Expect some podcast lovin'.

October 30, 2006 permalink | Comments (1)

Time for a repeat: The Siege

Just doublechecked with Netflix, and it's been almost exactly 2 years since I last watched The Siege. I'm overdue...and right before the election, too, so as to make sure I'm wound up! Sorry, Grosse Pointe Blank...you've got to go back unwatched. We'll catch you on the flip side.

October 27, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Thoughts on Homo economicus and gift culture

This week's Distributing the Future has the audio from a really interesting EuroOSCON session by Tor Norretranders. He discusses, among other things, the Ultimatum game, an experimental economics game that I wasn't familiar with. Check the link for details, but basically, the results are non-intuitive if one presupposes that humans are wired for economic rationality in individual behavior. The experiment has been performed many times, in many different cultures, and behavior runs contrary to the expected economic result.

I love this kind of stuff. It rings true to me as well; there are so many more things to life than that which simply maximizes economic return. It heartens me to think that human beings are perhaps a bit more complicated than that...

The entire session by Tor Norretranders is excellent. Recommended.

October 25, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Google Reader makes the grade

OK...after the recent upgrade and subsequent tweaks to Google's RSS reader, I'm taking it out for a spin as my primary feed reader (replacing the Firefox plugin sage, FYI). So far, so good.

The big bang for my buck is no duplication...I have feeds duplicated in readers at home, at work, and on my laptop with sage (and also on my Nokia 770 with it's integrated reader), and it's a royal pain in my ass to have to re-read feeds in 3 places to make sure I don't miss anything. Online readers fix that...but I hadn't been able to find a web-based reader I could stand. I tried bloglines several different times, and I hate the interface...and in fact, I hated the original Google Reader interface. It's why I stopped using both of them.

But with the new updates, Google Reader isn't too bad at all, and even supports keyboard shortcuts; sweet! I had a bit of a struggle getting one of my own feeds (for my blog comments) subscribed...finally worked it out. There does appear to be a tiny bit of wigginess with feed subscriptions, though. I hope it never bites me severely! But for now, I'm happy to spend some time kicking these tires.

October 23, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Great week for media tools

What a week! More info later, but for now, check out Flash 9 for Linux (beta finally released!), Democracy Player (update; lots of new features), Beep Media Player BMPx (new release a couple of weeks ago, I just found it), and Songbird (new release). Also, I finally started playing with last.fm, since BMPx and Songbird integrate with it.

Busy!!

October 20, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Flash 9 for Linux beta available NOW

Penguin.SWF: Beta Is Live

Will update soon with my experiences...

UPDATE: Snap...this shit works. So far, so good.

October 19, 2006 permalink | Comments (2)

KAZ: Episode 6

Here is the blip.tv page, and direct MP3 download link for the October 13th episode.

I paused a podcast by Jon Udell to rant about his topic, unified messaging. (Note: I couldn't remember specifics while I was talking; Jon Udell was talking to Mark Ericson, and the app is SessionSuite. The company is BlueNote Networks.) Links:

PS: No, I'm definitely not happy with the audio. I'm trying two new different solutions for in-car this week.

October 18, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Python 2.5 looks EXCELLENT

It took me a month, but I finally got around to reading What's New in Python 2.5. I had forgotten about some of the good stuff (try...finally...except support, ElementTree added to std library), and didn't know about some stuff (__missing__ dict attribute, sqlite3 added to std library, datetime.strptime). Outstanding!

October 17, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

I love FactCheck.org

If you're interested in politics, and don't get factcheck.org's emails regarding advertising, I heartily suggest you visit their site.

FactCheck.org was originally started to fact check info in the 2004 election, but they've stayed around, and they're doing a great job dissecting misleading and downright deceitful advertising by both sides in this election cycle. As near as I can tell, they do a great job of being objective...they aren't shy to take on either side.

I have little tolerance for politicians of any stripe (or anyone, really) that twist and distort the facts to make a false statement seem true, or misrepresent a situtation. Especially in as important a circumstance as an election. I commend the FactCheck folks for their hard work in trying to help let some sunshine in!

A couple of recent examples (I'm deliberately choosing one from each side here):

Plenty more good stuff where those came from.

October 15, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Kamaelia looks interesting

I'm a sucker for Python toolkits. Kamaelia is a new one to me...I think I heard a bit about it earlier, as it got some airtime when it was announced (it's initial development was by the BBC for some of their Archive initiatives). But I wasn't aware all these toys were available to play with! Joy.

I'm so easy.

October 10, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Google Code Search live

I'm playing with Google Code Search....looks like it could have uses at times. Another wrench for the toolbox!

WRT the YouTube purchase...so far, I like Andrew Leonard's comments in Salon. Not the dot-boom part; the fact that [it] is the necessary next step in the democratization and enrichment of global cultural intercourse. I think that's well put. There are definitely growing pains coming for the entrenched rich media companies, but this is only a good thing for everyone, IMO.

October 10, 2006 permalink | Comments (2)

KAZ: Episode 5

Here is the blip.tv page, and direct MP3 download link for the October 6th episode.

I renege on my solumn vow to never use the iPAQ again for podcasting, and then navel-gaze regarding my options for replacing it; I rant on the bizarre AM radio commercials I listened to this week, discuss games as learning experiences, thank Cthulhu for this thing we call podcasting, make a pledge to catch up to BG 3.0 episode 1 by sometime next week, and then trip off to work.

PS: I'm trying to figure out best encoding parameters...this is encoded at 32 kbit, vs. 64 that I'd been using before (half the size). If it sucks, let me know. 

October 8, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

KAZ: Episode 4

Here is the blip.tv page, and direct MP3 download link for the October 1st episode.

I finish the podcast list, and do it sitting at the PC to boot, so it probably sounds a bit better. I review my technical podcast list, and round things out with the miscellaneous skeptic stuff. On to the jazzy new material...huzzah!

Links mentioned:

(Note: Jon Udell DOES have an RSS for his podcast, turns out: http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/gems/fridaypodcast.xml)

October 3, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Excellent editorial in NYT

The Foley Matter: History suggests that once a political party achieves sweeping power, it will only be a matter of time before the power becomes the entire point.

Outstanding editorial. And while this is certainly political, I don't consider it overtly partisan; you could write the same editorial about Democrats in different circumstances. Indeed, the very point of the editorial (as noted in the above quote), is that power corrupts. Anyone. Worth remembering.

Note: since this editorial will end up behind a firewall soon *sigh*, I'm looking for alternate urls. Here's one (though I think this one may expire as well): The Foley Matter (IHT)

October 3, 2006 permalink | Comments (0)

Earlier posts -- Later posts