So, its a very extravagant Halloween costume. Oh and it involves more than one person to operate, but it is interactive, responsive and pretty neat.



Check out HugeCamera.com to see some of the pictures it takes tonight (if everything works as planned).


Tonight, GooglePlex party and Castro Street.

And the future.... maybe we will take it to the park or the beach, who knows?

technorati: halloween,, costume,, camera

Created 80 weeks, 2 days ago

I think I added a nice feature. An upgrade from simple html editing (by hand) for comments

I am using the FreeTextBox adapter that is running in dasBlog as default but it should be able to be configured to use other textbox WYSIWYG editors.
Update, now it is using the tinyMCE adapter.

It has full configuration properties (choose your allowed html elements and it shows the corresponding toolbar buttons) and it still works with the coComments feature (this was too buggy and the workaround involved a lot of hacks, maybe next version) .

Post a comment to try it. [still very early beta] now tighter and stronger

technorati: dasblog, blog, comments

Created 81 weeks, 3 days ago

Off to see LB with Cut Chemist and Pigeon John at this little venue just up the street called The Independent. I think it was the same time last year I saw them up in Austin at The Parish. Lyrics Born shows are thrilling. Just hours away now, I don't know how long I can hold my funk.

Oh yea, and I went to see The Decemberists on Thursday. They were good too. But between you and me, Lyrics Born is the show I have been waiting for .

technorati: Lyrics Born, The Independent

Created 81 weeks, 5 days ago

Ever have Google Toolbar spellcheck barf and ruin your markup with its DHTML <span> tags around all the misspelled and questionable words?

Below is a Dreamweaver Find and Replace query file that you can download and load into the Find and Replace window to remove all the undesirable markup if you paste the ruined code into a new Dreamweaver document and run this query on it.




Instructions:

1. Download and extract the dwr file to your computer.
   
   
2. Make sure "Use regular expression" is checked in the Find and Replace window.
   
   
3. Click on the "Load Query" button (it looks like a folder) and select the file you downloaded.
   
   
4. Find and replace the text as usual.
   
   
5. Continue until all of your content is clean.

technorati: Google, Toolbar, Spellcheck, Dreamweaver, Query, Find and Replace


Created 82 weeks, 2 days ago

After a month of tweaking, hacking and trying to get iTunes 7 to work on a Compaq V2405US laptop I give up. The laptop has 1.25 GB of ram, 256MB shared for video display and an AMD 3000+ (1.8 GHz) processor. This setup works perfectly with Google Video player, Windows Media player 10 and it worked perfectly with iTunes 6.

This laptop functions almost entirely as an entertainment center PC. I set the laptop to share a desktop on the s-video port. With iTunes 6, I just drag the iTunes application over to the second s-video desktop, start the video and enable playback in fullscreen mode. It works like a champ.

This setup is my lifeline to my favorite cable and network TV shows without having to pay for cable packages that I use 3% of and are so packed full of advertisements that waste what time I have at home.

After upgrading to iTunes 7 (including the latest as of this writing 7.0.1) the playback is about 1 frame per second (with visible vertical scanning). You wouldn't even know this was a version upgrade if you saw the two versions working side by side. I can't even run a floating video window on the s-video screen as that typically locks up the computer for a few seconds per each pixel I try to move the program while it is on the shared s-video desktop. I am not sure if it is the iTunes 7 application or the new version of Quicktime that is required when you upgrade iTunes 7. If anyone has a walkthrough for degrading Quicktime and still running iTunes 7 I would be willing to try it to see if it works.

My workaround: I have upgraded my desktop computer to iTunes 7 and I "authorized" my desktop to have access to my iTunes DRM media. Then I download the content to my desktop computer, share the iTunes storage folder over my wireless network, copy the new TV show and movie files over to my laptop hard disk and play them on iTunes 6. It even works with the movies I downloaded with iTunes 7 ( O Brother, Where Art Thou? worked just fine) that are supposed to be iTunes 7 compatible only.

Another iTunes 7 annoyance. Apple now prevents you from buying TV shows and movies with the iTunes 6 interface even though they work just fine with iTunes 6.

F'ing lame Apple.

technorati: Apple, iTunes, problems, movies

Created 82 weeks, 2 days ago

Some of yall probably known my sister Colleen from her comments on my blog. Her and my brother-in-law Jeff flew into San Francisco this weekend to visit. My sister had planned out some places to visit while they were here. After this weekend, I can now say with authority that she is the top adventure planner in the family and circle of friends.

On the first day we had not only explored Alcatraz and Fisherman's Wharf, but also had visited a few places in Chinatown (and had some great beers in that bar) and managed to watch part of a movie that night (Mirrormask - BLEH!). They got a chance to ride the MUNI to the wharf and back too.



On Sunday we had a big breakfast at Kookez, drove across the Golden Gate to Sonoma, tasted wine at two wineries and did a full tour of Benziger. We then followed that up with shopping in Sonoma and return side-trip through Downtown San Francisco (including Lombard street drive - no parrots to be seen). We finished up the day with mojitos and peruvian cuisine down in Noe Valley.



Monday was a walking breakfast down 24th, sight seeing up at Twin Peaks, down to Ocean Beach and over to Height-Ashbury. Then we zoomed down to San Jose to checkout the Winchester Mystery House. What a strange place that is. We all ate dinner together at our house on Monday night; we finally gave in to exhaustion. They left this morning after a nice breakfast at Pontes.



Plus, Jeff had a cold the whole time. Colleen, you sure can vacation!

technorati: Vacation, Sonoma, Winchester Mystery House

Created 82 weeks, 2 days ago

The Netflix widget is back up and running. Go make widgets to your hearts content!

It turns out I accidentally compiled the logic for the new version into the current version validation handler. Also, I wasn't managing the code with any CVS so I had to manually revert my changes :(.

Needless to say I am now using CVS to manage the codebase. It really wasn't that hard to roll up the code into version control but I didn't think I needed it originally. I guess I was wrong.

Thanks again to all those who sent me a heads up.

technorati: netflix, widget

Created 82 weeks, 2 days ago

Looks like I broke the script that generates the Netflix widget when I fixed the error handling last week. Argh. Thanks to everyone who sent me a message.

I am working on it now, another notice when I get it working again!

*update* it is back up and working. Yes, I accidentally broke it. Sorry.

technorati: netflix, widget

Created 82 weeks, 2 days ago

Thanks to some feedback from a user named Sharon I added another layer of status messaging to the Netflix movies at home widget.

Whenever the Netflix servers are down they were forcing the script to show the default error message. Now they show a more informative message related to the Netflix outage. Can anyone think of anything more clever instead of the one I thought up? I would be willing to change it.

technorati: Netflix, widget



Created 83 weeks, 1 hour ago

I have been working on my own macros for dasBlog outside of what I contribute to the core build. I wanted a Google site search and a feedburner feedflare macro that worked with dasBlog 1.8 (I ran it for the longest time) so I finally rolled them up into a common macro library.

Now that I have some momentum, I want to share them with everyone else. You can find all of my dasBlog macros and themes I have made in the new section of my Projects page.

The new Google site search macro is as easy as:
     <%GoogleSiteSearch("dasblog.us", 20)|jforsythe%>

If you need any macros developed, let me know and maybe I can help.


technorati: dasBlog, macros, themes

Created 83 weeks, 23 hours ago

We are all fans of the older Queensrÿche music, don't deny it. So it makes sense that when they come to town for a show, you pick up tickets and go. Nothing like having those older rockers ballad you silly while you chug down glass after glass of beer. Seriously though, I am excited about seeing them again. I know I will have to deal with some of the newer music, but when they start up some of the older songs... watch off!

Not as big a fan as this guy though.

technorati: Queensrÿche


Created 83 weeks, 1 day ago

I don't know why but I up and fixed the old [LM] faction dossier tonight. Using the power of asp.net request handlers and regex I was able to get an old hard-coded flash movie to work (original code by Lee Fastenau) after I migrated everything to a new codebase and new site architecture. All without having to edit the flash movie.

The LM Faction site takes me back. Makes me want to fire up UT again and play some instaGib with everyone. Oh and put on the shirts we had made for the team back in the day.



technorati: LM Faction, Unreal Tournament, Flash

Created 83 weeks, 2 days ago

Hey YouTube... errr. Google! The 'Forgot Username' functionality has an problem. I got a nice little e-mail from your system this morning that reads:

YouTube™ – Broadcast Yourself

The following YouTube username is attached to this email address: . We hope this helps.

Thanks for using YouTube!

— The YouTube Team

To change or cancel your email notifications, go to your email options

Copyright © 2006 YouTube, Inc.

Seems like someone thought my email address was the one they used when they signed up with YouTube. I even got 4 copies of it. They were really convinced this was their e-mail address.

I love a good mystery, so I looked a little deeper. Was this Spam? Was this a phishing attempt? Nope, just a good ol' fashion hole. The kind that most web applications these days cover in day-1 of design requirements.

The functionality YouTube uses to send a reminder e-mail for a forgotten username just sends e-mail to whatever address is entered into the form field. If they have a username for it they just append it to the message.

And if they don't have an username on file, that's where the problem is. They don't suppress the message. They still send it... ugh. And with a fancy little blank area where the username is supposed to be. That is useful. And kinda rude.

1,650,000,000 dollars and it comes with holes. Oh, and if you received an e-mail from YouTube and you are a friend of mine, it was probably because I was testing the system.


technorati: YouTube, Google, exploit, problem


Created 83 weeks, 2 days ago

I knew that with a tour this year we would also be getting a new album from Mouse on Mars. Thanks to my musical sherpa Aaron I received a copy of Varcharz over the weekend. It makes me excited to be going to the show in San Francisco in November. Pitchfork has a great review of the album.

When I first saw the album title, I thought it had to do with programming concepts. As in varchar: a variable character field. But according to Sonig:

The title, Varcharz, is intentionally mistaken to sound like “war charts”, but in fact, it is the phonetic mangling in English of the German word “wortschatz” which means “vocabulary”.

The album is great either way. Pick up a copy online or a music store. No download versions out yet.

technorati: Mouse on Mars, Varcharz


Created 83 weeks, 3 days ago

If you are looking for chocolate in Noe Valley, I urge you not to visit Belgano Chocolatier at 24th and Sanchez St. The product they serve might be fine, but it isn't something you can't find at another chocolatier in town with much better customer service; such as Joseph Schmidt Confections just a few short blocks away. Joseph Schmidt is even on the same street! That's easy, isn't it.

The problem you see, is that the owners and staff are rude, crude and totally unacceptable.

Isn't the trend this year all about customer service as a commodity in food service and retail? I think they need to attend a few more trade shows. Pick up that little trade mag with the headline 'Getting more by giving more'. You might actually stand to learn a few simple (and what I thought was common sense) practices.

Here are a few tips Belgano (no need to purchase these from me, consider them a gift):

1. don't make your customers (or potential customers who live nearby and love chocolate) remove themselves from the silver chairs outside the store on a busy public sidewalk.

2. don't place chairs outside if you don't want people sitting in them. I don't even believe you want customers waiting for the bus to sit in them. I don't think you even want customers who ride the bus.

3. Wipe that smug grin off your face when someone is willing to spend money on your chocolates but doesn't know how to pronounce them in French. How about writing the names of the chocolates in English? No? Too low brow? Maybe you'll go out of business and I can shop from the next person who takes the lease there. I hope its an BBQ place. Or a hotdoggery. Something really simple and fun with happy employees.



To drive the point home; don't buy from Belgano Chocolatier. If we do our part as a community, we will drive them out of business in order to get someone else in that space with a much better attitude towards the neighborhood and the neighbors.

I think I am going to start paying the homeless peeps to go into your store and shop. Lets see how you like that .

technorati: Belgano, Chocolate, Noe Valley

Created 83 weeks, 5 days ago

I tried to contest my parking ticket. I didn't win.

They found me guilty of the crime of 'sidewalk blocking' and punished me with a $100 fine.

I still think they are wrong and that I wasn't blocking any sidewalk.

Notice my "comments" on the check . I'll probably be the victim of police violence now.

Created 83 weeks, 6 days ago

I went to a great party last night at Yahoo! building C for the del.icio.us 3rd birthday party. There were some famous faces there, and we met 1/2 the support staff of Flickr before we left. Thanks for the really great BBQ (it really WAS good) and beers and free t-shirts. I liked Joshua Schachter's 'thanks for coming speech'. It pretty much went: "Thanks...for coming and celebrating with us." Then everyone got back to mingling and drinking. To the point man!

Pics of the event:
http://flickr.com/photos/laughingsquid/260373790/in/photostream/

technorati: del.icio.us, party, Yahoo

Created 84 weeks, 1 day ago