The Mighty Blog Machine

We seem to be churning out blogs with regularity around here. The newest member of the elite blog team is Leslie Kelly who blogs Whining & Dining. It's about food, wine and other culinary goodies. She's got some mad blog skillz. If you live anywhere near Memphis and like to eat, you MUST check out her blog.

posted by Eric J | 10:03 AM

TiVo fuels ideas

As you may know, I love my TiVo. It's a cool little gizmo that is gradually becoming a non-gizmo. What I mean is that it's sort of morphing from this "Gee-Whiz-Wow" thing that I love using to "just the way I watch television."

One thing I've been thinking about with the TiVo is that it would be really cool to put all my DVDs on the TiVo. I know they won't fit on the current hard drive but the concept has merit. I thought of this because I was thinking of watching something one night and thought of popping in a DVD. But, I decided to watch some TiVo show instead because I didn't want to have to get up, find the DVD, pop it in, change the TV channel, select play on the DVD menu, watch the FBI warning, etc. Yeah, as I write all that I realize that I sound like some lazy slug (which I am) but that's not the point. The point is that I see no reason why we can't have all, or at least most, of our DVD movies stored on a TiVo type device.

Just like the iPod it could be marketed as "500 movies on your set-top box" or something. I mean, why not? Ok, maybe with current hard drive technology this would result in a rather beefy set-top box but as hard drives become smaller and hold more info we should be seeing something like this in the not-so-distant future.

All of this makes perfect sense to me. Put all your songs on your computer or iPod. Put all your movies on your TiVo. Maybe you could even program some sort of funky movie mix on such a device? Like categorize all your comedies together and then pick out a couple of your favorite scenes from each one and then shuffle them up like you would a mixed playlist on your iPod.

You should also be able to tag your movies with meta-data much like you do with mp3s. Insert little notes about the movie, relevant info that might not be contained on the DVD or whatever. Maybe even a query to IMDB when you load up a flick just like CDs do with the CDDB.

However, there's one little thing standing in the way of this reality. The law. I think, and I may be wrong, that it's technically illegal to copy DVDs to a hard drive. That's stupid and if it is reality then it must be changed.

posted by Eric J | 01:05 PM

I'm drinking Pepsi based on principles

I don't really like Pepsi. Yes, I'm one of those Diet Coke freaks that could give a crap about the sugar, I just likes the taste. No kidding. And that Diet Coke with a little bit of Lime flavoring? Oh man that's good stuff. Well I just read this USATODAY.com story about Pepsi and I think I'm going to start drinking Pepsi. The ad says:

Some 20 teens sued by the Recording Industry Association of America, which accuses them of unauthorized downloads, will appear in a Pepsi-Cola (PEP) ad that kicks off a two-month offer of up to 100 million free — and legal — downloads from Apple's iTunes, the leading online music seller. The sassy ad, to be seen by Super Bowl's 88 million viewers on Feb 1, is a wink at the download hot button. Pepsi hopes the promotion will connect its flagship cola, as well as Sierra Mist and Diet Pepsi, with teens who've shown more affinity for bottled water, energy drinks and the Internet.

Take that you RIAA losers.

posted by Eric J | 10:19 PM

More Memphis HotSpots

Found this little directory of Wi-Fi HotSpots around Memphis. We now have nine. Wow. 2004 and nine hotspots in a city with an NBA team, the FedEx headquarters and Graceland. Awesome.

By the way, that site I linked to also looks up other cities. So, if you crave a Wi-Fi HotSpot in your town give it a whirl. Maybe you'll find one.

posted by Eric J | 10:39 AM

Please consider visiting my own blog

Please consider visiting my own blog...
- Ok, I considered it. Now what?

...if you can.
- If I can? Like, maybe I'm physically unable to visit the blog? Or maybe my clicky finger isn't working so good and I can't get the mouse to do that whole link thing? I'm pretty sure I, and everyone else, can visit your blog. Unless maybe folks living under some oppressive regime are prohibited from reading Frumpy Professor sites? Maybe that's it?

I would appreciate any comments you would have...
- Here's my comments. Do you appreciate them?

I am still trying to build my readership of interesting people to read my blog.
- You are? How's that going? Look Frumpy, bloggers are smart (well, most of them... ok, some of them) and we get that you have a blog by the fact that your name is linked to an actual blog. If your comments make sense (and even if they don't) we'll probably click on the link and visit your blog. There is no need to add a big plea for site visitors.

And before you misunderstand (I am often misunderstood) I'm not trying to hassle you. I actually like your site (which is why I linked it here) and like smoking cigars (which are second cousins to pipes). I even liked my Frumpy Geography professor. I'm just saying in my own way that you might want to reconsider your traffic-driving tactic... or not? Maybe it works really well? I dunno. I don't visit too many blogs these days.

If you know me (which you don't) you'll know that I'm all about blogging. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread in my opinion. I love that you're blogging and wish you much success and mucho traffic. But, for the love of God, please stop posting those pleas along with your comments.

Thanks,
Eric J. (the blogging asshole)

posted by Eric J | 09:20 PM

TiVo is pretty cool

Had my TiVo now for a few weeks and don't know how I ever got along without it before. I also thought I'd be watching a lot more TV with this little gizmo but it's quite the opposite. Instead of sitting down and just mindlessly viewing something I'm only half interested in I now basically only watch Seinfeld reruns. One, maybe two a night and I'm done with TV. It's great. To me, it's not a TiVo, it's a Seinfeld-O... or maybe SeinVo?

Anyway, TiVo rocks. And speaking of rock, I just got TiVo to connect to my PowerBook. This little article didn't really help with my problem but it did remind me that I have Norton's Internet Firewall on my PowerBook. That firewall was keeping my PowerBook from talking to the TiVo. Bad firewall. I turned it off and now I can listen to iTunes through my TiVo (which is about as exciting as it sounds actually) and view all of iPhoto through TiVo (which really, really kicks booty).

So, go get yourself a TiVo. I like the whole wireless connectiong thing. I feel so very modern.

posted by Eric J | 09:43 PM

Freshman Diaries Blog

Now this is one cool blog. It's a companion blog to a feature running monthly in the paper. It's brand new and some of the kids are brand new to blogging so it should be interesting to see what happens. It's all powered by MovableType.

See, blogs are still fun.

posted by Eric J | 11:37 AM

Raging Bunny

Do you know the The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny? You may know more about this bunny than you think you do.

posted by Eric J | 10:32 AM

Better Late Than Never

During the "round table" segment on Meet The Press this past Sunday there was a very lively discussion about Blogs. Specifically, what role blogs and the Internet will play in this year's presidential election. Of course the inspiration for such a topic was the unexpected success of the Howard Dean Blog and how it's being used to raise money, generate campaign ideas and energize the Democratic base.

I love it whenever the "mainstream Media" discuss blogging (Meet The Press is mainstream isn't it?) but I cringe whenever the Media get some of the details wrong. Like this explanation of Blogging by Chuck Todd:

The actual term itself, by the way, is short for Web log. And, you know, you drop the W and you get the blog.

Actually, no. You must drop the "W" and the "e" before you get "blog" Mr. Todd. Just dropping the "W" leaves you with eBlog, which actually isn't so bad but it's still not "blog."

I do appreciate that Mr. Todd didn't call blogs an "online diary" or a "journal." He used "digital bulletin board" which actually fits the Dean Blog pretty well. Actually the whole discussion was pretty spot-on and that sort of demonstrates (in my mind) how far blogging has permeated the minds of the Media movers and shakers. Last year blogging was often seen as some Web novelty to be laughed at by the Media pundits. Now it's an essential component of a successful presidential campaign.

However, there was one moment in the discussion that really set me off. Russert asks Roger Simon if he's a blogger and Simon responds:

I am a blogger sort of. I mean, the difference between -- look, a true blog is I woke up this morning, I decided to skip chem class, now I want to write about the last episode of “Friends.” That’s what blogs are. You know, it’s people talking to each other. My site is actually written columns. There’s a difference between writing and typing basically.  Well, I mean, the theory between blogging is half correct. It’s everybody has an opinion and then the other half is: And everyone else wants to read about it. That’s not necessarily true.  When I first put up the site, it got all these responses. I thought people wanted me to respond to them. They don’t. They want to talk to each other. And that has been the power that Dean has tapped into.

The thing that made me angriest is the way he defines blogs, true blogs, as the goofy ramblings of adolescents. I understand why he says this but the deeper problem he reveals is an attitude towards the Internet as a whole. Sure, probably most blogs are just a bunch of goofy ramblings that nobody wants to read. So what? The exact same thing can be said about EVERYTHING ON THE NET. Online News? Most of it is just the mad ranting of some fringe special interest group. Movies? Most of the movies online are just kids with too much free time and a digital video camera. I could go on.

The point is that the Net is different than Newspapers, Radio, Television, Magazines and Books because ANYONE can participate. If everyone had access to the tools and resources to make their own TV show and air it then "true Sunday Morning Talk Shows" might also be defined as "I woke up this morning, I decided to skip chem class, now I want to write about the last episode of 'Friends.'"

I know why blogs get this rap but it's wrong. Simon is wrong for essentially saying "I'm not a blogger" (and maybe he really isn't one). There are a lot of people who understand blogging and are using it to make a difference. People who saw the potential, embraced the community and are thriving contributors in this "Great Web Experiment."

Maybe I'm making something out of nothing but it really pissed me off when he said that. I guess it doesn't take much to get me worked up lately. Blog on.

posted by Eric J | 10:00 PM

Scary Moment

You know what's really scary? Watching your beloved PowerBook fall from a coffee table onto a hardwood floor. That "thud" is one of the worst sounds imaginable. However, all is well I guess since I'm posting this from my TV room on the dropped PowerBook. Whew!

posted by Eric J | 09:23 PM

I think I like it

Blogstakes: Tell everybody and win!

posted by Eric J | 03:14 PM

Say what???

I'm not into the whole Apple culture as I once was but these things come in cycles (so I'm told) and I'm sure my next Apple-holic phase is coming soon... but NOT today. Today I watched Tom and Jerry cartoons during the Macworld Keynote. I logged on this afternoon to see what new goody Steve was serving and I was stunned by what I saw... stunned in a bad way.

Steve unveiled the iPod mini and "Microsoft Office for the rest of your life." First a word about the latter.

Is it just me or is that possibly the worst ad slogan possible for a Mac application? I mean, besides the fact that I don't really care for Office doesn't the slogan sound even weirder depending on how you read it? It could be read as something like "It's like Microsoft Office for the rest of your natural life..." as in "this application blows so hard that using it will be like getting stuck with having to use Microsoft Office forever." Maybe it's just me.

And now the mini-Pod. Let me get this straight. I can buy a 15GB iPod that is just a little bigger for $299 OR I can buy a 4GB iPod mini for $50 less? Hmmmmm. Thanks for making that decision easy for me Apple. I should probably mention that I don't own an iPod and probably won't until it plays radio (without some stupid plug-in adapter thing). I just gotta have my ESPN Radio sometimes. Anyway, it still seems stupid. The regular iPod never seemed THAT big to me and now I'm essentially paying the same price for something slightly smaller with vastly less storage capacity. How is that good? Oh, the colors. That's right. Well it all makes sense then. I mean having a small iPod that holds almost nothing (by comparison) that also comes in pastel colors is worth $249. Silly me.

I am slightly color blind so maybe don't give me corrections if those colors aren't pastel.

posted by Eric J | 09:28 PM

I've got a new addiction

I've found a new addiction.

Yes, it's true. I've become one of those "Chess geeks" you read about and see in those Teen-angst movies. Only I'm a "Chess geek" who also happens to suck. Seriously. I love chess but I'm not very good... which is the point of playing I guess. To get better.

So, to illustrate how obscenely nerdy I've become I've listed a few true-life Chess-related experiences:

Bought a Chess book

Spent all Friday night playing chess with one friend while another watched (that sounds much weirder than it was)

Called my Uncle-In-Law (?) from the grocery store to ask Chess advice (I've never called him before in my life)

Am asking everyone I know: "Do you play chess?"

Have set a personal goal to be able to play chess with someone using only Algebraic Notation. No board. No pieces. Just a pencil and paper.

Ok. If that doesn't convince you then come over to GameKnot, register and challenge me to a game (username: webraw). I'm perfecting the art of Chess Trash Talking. In the absense of any real skills I resort to name-calling and street-slang to try and intimdate my opponent.

And no, it hasn't worked yet but it does make losing a bit more tolerable for me.

posted by Eric J | 08:51 PM

Mad Props

Shout out to the Struggling Young Man Dot Com blog. It's fresh. It's struggling. It's annoying... in a good way! Check it out.

posted by Eric J | 11:50 PM