If you’re new to the whole BitTorrent scene, I highly recommend Azureus. Azureus is an incredible Bit Torrent client written in java that picks up where the original client left off. With Azureus you can have multiple torrents downloading at once, and you can prioritize your uploads/downloads with ease.
Have no idea what I’m talking about? Then check out this Bit Torrent FAQ. Give BT a try and it will quickly change how you think about peer-to-peer networking.
Joi Ito points out that Robert Greenwald has released the interviews used within “Outfoxed” under a Creative Commons non-commerical license. This is great news. If you haven’t seen the film yet, buy it up on DVD and take advantage of the distribution of the interviews via Bit Torrent. The interviews are a great source for those truly seeking “fair & balanced” reporting in journalism.
:: Outfoxed Torrent ::
:: via Joi Ito’s Web ::
Yesterday, I blogged about the DNC’s “Fortunate Son” video. In the ad, the DNC used clips from NBC’s Meet the Press and CBS’s 60 Minutes to make their case against the President. Apparently, the legal geniuses at the DNC didn’t ask NBC or CBS if they could use the aforementioned clips. Today, both CBS and NBC have released statements demanding that the video be pulled from the DNC’s site. The DNC holds that they are entitled to use some portions of the segments without permission but insists that they will take the matter under consideration.
So, if you want to see the clip you’d better get moving.
:: Full Story Link ::
The democrats have debuted a new ad that labels Bush a “Fortunate Son” who received preferrential treatment in avoiding the draft and enlisting in the Air National Guard. The video has a sort of Farenheit 9/11 feel to it and is really well done. So, while I agree with the video’s message, I still hold that the dems have allowed the Bush campaign to dictate the tempo of this race. With less than two months between us and election day, we’re not talking about jobs, the economy, or healthcare. Instead, this blog post is all about a war that happened 30 years ago.
While no one denies the relevancy of each candidate’s military records, I would rather hear dialogue about the future of Iraq or the constitutionality of the PATRIOT act. The Kerry campaign has to fire back when attacked (i.e. Swift Vote Vetrans for Truth), but the fate of this election lies in the democrats taking hold of the agenda and focusing the campaign on the future, not the past.
It’s official today…
With no action taken by the Bush Administration and Congress refusing to act, you can head out today and put a deposit down on an AK-47 or maybe a shiny new Uzi that has caught your eye.
As I’m writing this a nice republican Senator on CNN is telling me that terrorists have no interest in using these types of weapons and since crimes related to these types of assault weapons have not changed over the past ten years then banning them is just silly. Well, why didn’t you just say so Senator? I apologize for my skepticism.
Happy Shopping.
Walked out this morning and unknowingly left my cell phone sitting on the counter. For the rest of the day I felt completely lost…like I’d forgotten to put my pants on or something. This ever happen to you? [The cell phone, not the pants.]
I’m amazed at how dependent we’ve become on technology that only a few years ago was considered a simple luxury.
Brandon Fuller has written an incredible plugin for iTunes for Windows. This plugin resides as a “visualization” in iTunes and monitors what track you are playing. With the start of each track, an XML file is generated that contains data about that song. With the appropriate customization, you can have the Now Playing plugin upload the xml file to your ftp server. Then, a simple bit of PHP will include this output on your website. Better yet, the plugin supports Amazon’s associate ID program so clicking on the album art will take you over to Amazon where you can purchase the CD and I’ll even make some change off the purchase.
You can take a look at what I’ve cooked up here on this site in the “Now Playing” section. For details on downloading/configuring Now Playing, head over to Brand Fuller’s website. The plugin is free to try, but will only upload info about the first 5 tracks of each iTunes session. For only $10, the software is a great deal. Now only if there was a OS X version…
UPDATE: For those who’ve been wondering, yes, Now Playing also has a Windows Media Player version that works nearly identical to the iTunes version. Now, the more important question is why would you want to use Windows Media Player?
Thursday night, MoveOn.org is organizing a series of candlelight vigils that will be held across the country. The vigils will be quiet and dignified and used as a time to remember the 1,000 U.S. soldiers that have now died in Iraq. The gatherings will begin at 8:00pm in various locations across the country and will last approximately 45 minutes.
I will be attending the vigil near UC Irvine at the pedestrian bridge near University Center. If anyone reading this is interested in attending the gathering in OC, let me know. If you would like to participate in your local area, visit this link to find a vigil near you.
It’s been almost 20 years since I got my first library card, but today, I’m once again a patron of the public library system. Who needs all these other cards crowding my wallet? Driver’s license? AmEx? This Newport Beach Public Library card is all the identification I’ll ever need.
Actually, the Newport Beach Public Library kicks ass. The place recently got a sizable donation and they put it to good use. There are top of the line computers complete with LCD screens and DVD burners, individual study desks with plenty of power outlets standing by and…oh yes…free WiFi for everyone. All they need now is an espresso bar and I’d be in heaven.
So, if you too need a quiet place to study, I’m the kid on the 2nd floor playing with on my PowerBook instead of studying…
This weekend, I’ll be joining some good friends up in San Francisco to attend a free (donation-sponsered) concert by the Dave Matthews Band. The band is putting on the concert in Golden Gate Park and all proceeds will go to support Bay Area community charities “…addressing issues of homelessness, pediatric AIDS and other terminal childhood maladies, Bay Area park improvement and music education resources.”
I’m really looking forward to getting back up to the Bay Area, if only for a few days. This will also be my first time to such a large concert in a park. Last year the guys held something similar in Central Park and the results were amazing. If this weekend’s show is half as good, I will be delighted.
So, if you’re sitting around in [insert name of your community here] this weekend with nothing to do, make the trip up to SF, hang with some cool people, listen to some great music and help out a good cause.
Last Sunday was my annual pilgrimage to a Dave Matthews Band concert. In prior years, I’ve gone to as many as five shows, but unfortunately, life threw me a couple of curves that only allowed me to go to this one show. This was also the first show that I showed up for without a ticket! For the past 3 or 4 years, I’ve watched as dozens of people buy/sell tickets in the parking lot prior to the show and figured I would try my luck. So, I went with my handy homemade cardboard sign stating my desire for one ticket. We got to the show about an hour early and did a little tail-gating. I proudly displayed my sign while enjoying some refreshments. Soon, a really cool looking guy came over and told me had 2 tix and wouldn’t mind splitting them up. When I say cool-looking, I should probably say Christ-looking cause this guy looked just like Jesus! I asked how much and he responded, “Hey, just a fair price.” I offered him $50 (nearly face value) and the deal was done. Thank you, Jesus!
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I’ve been doing my fair share of relaxing this weekend along with a good deal unpacking/decorating in the new place. It seems that no matter how much unpacking I do, there are these 4 or 5 boxes that just will NOT die. Where did I used to keep this stuff? Why do I keep this stuff? While this apartment is great, I miss the massive basement that housed all my junk in the old house.
Speaking of extra stuff if ANYBODY needs a decent washer & dryer or a great office desk, drop me an email. If I can’t find these guys a good home in the next few days, I’m goning to donate them to Goodwill.
Another little perk of living in these neck of the woods is Panera Bread. This place is awesome. For the vegetarian, they have a great assortment of suffering-free foods including sandwiches, soups, etc. (The Garden Veggie w/ Olive Oil sandwich is my personal favorite.) To make the deal even sweeter, the place is covered with free wi-fi and well within walking distance of my place.
Time for lunch!
This weekend I’ll be catching up on “Nip/Tuck”, “Arrested Development” and “Real Time w/ Bill Maher” courtesy of my new Sony Wega TV. For the past 5 years or so, I’ve been watching the tube on an aging Panasonic that has now been demoted to bedroom duty. The time has come for a new visual experience!
An awesome coupon code and a great sale at the Newport Beach Circuit City made for a deal I couldn’t resisit. So, if you’re in the neighborhood this weekend, stop by. I’ll be the guy plastered to the couch…
Martini Republic has a great post regarding Zell Miller’s address at the Republican National Convention. For me the best part of the evening came immediately after Zell’s speech when he sat in with the news team from CNN. You can check out the transcript here.They really put him on the spot on a number of the “facts” he presented in his speech. Tongue-tied, Zell just kept referring to research he had done and the facts he had to back up each claim. Maybe he was referring to this Email Hoax? Zell, you can’t believe everything that comes into your inbox.
::Link::
I learned a valuable life-lesson this morning. Avoid going to IHOP at any cost! Regardless of how much your friends evangelize their low prices and quick service, IHOP is crap. (Specifically, the IHOP on Harbor Blvd in Costa Mesa.) When you’re fortunate enough to live in a costal city, there’s plenty of wonderful places to grab a wonderful breakfast without having to sit in a sticky booth, drinking stale coffee and eating food that by all accounts lacks any semblance of flavor.
Life is too short and you’ve been warned…
So during the move last week, my trust cell phone (a Motorola v600) decided it would be a great time for the screen to crap out. Luckily, I could still make/receive calls but with no visual input or output. So, for a few days I had to answer every call without the luxury of call screening! As a long time reader of Howard Forums, I knew that there were technical issues regarding some of the early batches of the v600. With nothing to loose, I called up Cingluar’s Handset Replacement dept. and to my surprise I was promised a brand-new v600 (complete with updated hardware/firmware) within 24 hours! Yesterday morning, the FedEX guy arrived with my new handset and the difference between the phones is very tangible. Cingular also included a mailing label and even packing supplies to send back the defective unit. Sweet.
So, the moral of the story is that if your phone craps out on ya during your manufacturer’s warranty and your a Cingular customer, call ‘em up and get yourself a new and improved phone!
Now you know and knowing is half the battle! 
If this story wasn’t so tragic, it would be freakin’ hilarious.
It seems that at the grand opening of an IKEA in western Saudi Arabia, three men died during a stampede that occurred as deranged shoppers rushed to claim a limited number of promotional merchandise vouchers. Apparently, more than 8,000 people had gathered near the store and many had waited all night for a chance at the coveted $150 voucher. The BBC reports that when the IKEA store opened an hour earlier than expected, the rush of shoppers destroyed barriers and led to the men’s untimely demise.
Dying in a stampede of thousands of people is a nightmare, but doing it so you can grab yourself a Lack coffee table or a couple of Ardala floor lamps is just plain sad.
Link via BoingBoing