2002 August

Please don't take this the wrong way. I have an ICQ number. I also have an MSN IM account. And yes, I do exist on AIM, too. Yahoo? Yep. But just because you know how to get ahold of me via Instant Messenger doesn't mean that: (a) I'm going to answer you; (b) I'm going to answer your questions; (c) I'm ignoring you when I don't answer you or your questions; (d) you should say hello every single time you see me get online; (e) I'm going to put you on my buddy list. If you get a *wink* from me, I got your message loud and clear. If you get a “thanks,” then that means I don't have much time to continue the conversation. Please understand that I'm not being rude (on purpose).

Read more on I Am I Am I Am…

If you can figure out how to work the words “Boomer Sooner” (said TOGETHER, not separately!) into this week's show – I'll figure out how to make up a Call For Help skin to rival the Apple one by the upcoming weekend. Deal? I don't know what the hell it is, but I said it anyway – just so I could get the original Rockin' Robyn to make a CFH skin for her blog. If Todd is still being held hostage, I'm sorry. Des Moines won't be the same without you two. The Gnomedexers send their regards: “Excitement rising… enthusiasm containment field failing… anticipation factor reaching critical levels!” Or so Kirk tells me.

Read more on Culture Club…

This is why you should not live without broadband or cable television for too long. The smallest things will keep you entertained for hours. It's scary. For what it's worth, the insect is still buzzing around the loft. We've decided to name him Giuseppe, even though he looks more French than he does Italian. Did you know that I'm a hybrid? It's true. My mother was Welsh and my father was Hungarian. Does that make me Wel Hung? I'll leave it to your imagination.

Read more on Fly Away…

Your blogroll was NOT hacked. Jason's “Aurora Chair” is now BadHop. That is all I wanted to say. You may now return to your boring, miserable life. And if you think your life is great, you're not looking hard enough. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you're drowning your sorrows in Rocky Road at this very moment! Marshmallows have been scientifically proven to help you get over the fact that “Dr. Phil” never calls you back.

Read more on Blogrolling.com Hacked!…

Here's how I did that fancy neon autograph thing. When I was in the seventh grade, I was given a scholarship to attend a couple of courses at the Des Moines Art Center (in, of all places, Des Moines, Iowa). I chose photography, and have been somewhat addicted to taking snapshots ever since.

Read more on The Neon Autograph…

Wanna get on Call for Help? Fine. It's easier than you think. (1) Get a netcam. (2) Have the ability to run Netmeeting on just about any version of Windows. (3) Think of a super simple question that's not terribly common. (4) Understand that we don't need to know everything about your system. (5) Remember that we don't usually deal with Windows 2000 or NT-specific questions. (6) If the line is busy, calling back on another day isn't going to get you any closer to being on the air. (7) Submit your question via our Web form, keeping it short, sweet, and to the point. (8) Be energetic if Craig contacts you. (9) Don't ask for a t-shirt. (10) Keep trying.

Read more on Secrets of the Show…

I'm ready to buy the Canon GL2, but I don't know if I want to get it before or after Gnomedex. And, more importantly, I'm not sure who I should buy it from. “Best Price Audio Video dot-com” has a lousy name, but they have a great price on the unit. I'd just as soon buy it online than go local this time around. Anybody out there ever deal with this company before, personally or professionally? I can't find any red flags on Epinions, BizRate, Reseller Ratings, or PriceGrabber. I suppose that's a good thing. Still, I thought I'd throw this out there – just in case the reviews I've been reading are inaccurate. And if you're “in the business,” I might just buy it from you instead. I'm that kind of guy – provided the price and package are purchase-perfect.

Read more on The Canon GL2…

I'm still tweaking this new layout. I'm working on setting up the “buttons” to actually function now. Perhaps a roll-up / hidden post script? It's difficult to concentrate when my wife is playing old country tunes on her computer. When she said she wanted to listen to tunes, I thought she was talking Stone Temple Pilots or Nirvana. This stuff is hypnotic. The singer just referenced a trundle bed, I think. I can't understand a word she's saying. “Blah blah love blah.” I bet this group wasn't even popular when they were still together. Unless, heaven forbid, they're still on tour.

Read more on Singing For Supper…

Okay, everybody – it's time to play a new game that I'd like to call: NAME THAT INGROWN! Yes, that's right – I've got a blemish the size of a frisbee camped out on the side of my face. I tried feeding it earlier, but it damn near took my finger off. If it stays for too much longer, I'll have to color it brown with an eyebrow pencil and call it a beauty mark. An implant, if you will. I hear they're all the rage in Germany.

Read more on New Game!…

Well, anything worth doing is worth doing once. For the record, Gretchen was shaking her head the whole time. I mean… while I was recording the message. Not while I… nevermind. If you can't hear the MP3, I basically talked about this, that, and the other thing. Ya know, blog stuff that I haven't had time to do in a while. I needed to do something new with this thing. Again, my blog… not my… nevermind.

Read more on World's First Audio Blogroll…

Food always tastes better when someone else prepares it for you – which is what Gretchen and I keep telling ourselves. We're moving to a neighborhood that has plenty of unique restaurants less than a block away. The boxes arrived this morning. We're less than a month away from the last day living in this loft. I don't know who's going to do most of the packing, but since I've got a couple other immediate projects in the works, the responsibility will probably fall on my wife's very capable shoulders. I have no problem paying someone else to do it, either. Ugh. I dread having to get everything set up again. Thankfully, I believe I've found a new ISP that can provide ample DSL service. You'll be hearing about them more in the coming weeks, I'm sure. I've got the need for speed, and this computer doesn't settle for second best. If I don't feed it the recommended daily allowance of bandwidth, it gets pretty damn crabby.

Read more on Aughmn-Aughmn…

I've been asked to go onto The Screen Savers once a week now (which is a pretty nice opportunity to draw more people to Call for Help). I'm stuck now having to conjure up ideas to share with the audience. Even though the segment doesn't need to adhere to a theme, I keep coming back to doing “gee-whiz” demonstrations. Like showing people a few digital camera tricks, or how to use services like Blogrolling to spice up their personal home pages. It's difficult to think of every cool thing you've ever done and found – especially when you know that 35 million people will see you share it. Tricks aren't so tricky as long as you can do it more than once without hitting a snag. How many tech tips are out there? I don't know, but I don't think anybody else knows, either. That's some amount of job security. The one secret I'm trying to figure out right now is where to get that digital video camera. After careful consideration, I've decided to start pricing the Canon GL2. I'd like to have it in time for Gnomedex, but that remains to be seen. I'm still deciding whether I should buy it online, locally, or back in Iowa. Decisions, decisions…

Read more on Where's The Duck Tape…

I really wish I could have these thoughts automatically blogged. Hurry up and help me figure it out, Ben. Until then, I'll stay away from Packard Bell. I should really get to bed. Too much to do.

Read more on Which Sucked First?…

And the insanity continues. I'll pad these entries with helpful tips from the newsletter. At least, I think they're helpful. Some people have noticed that Windows XP can be slow when trying to access a folder full of media files (i.e. AVI / MPEG / DAT). Although I can't find anything on Microsoft's Web site that addresses this problem, it was still brought to our attention that there is a fix. Now, this fix will require you to edit your registry so I will STRONGLY refer you to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article – Q322755 for the steps on how to back up your registry (REMEMBER: registry tweaking can be tricky). Click the Start button, go to the Run command, type “Regedit,” and click OK. Once inside the Registry Editor, click Edit, then Find. In the “Find What” field, type in “{87D62D94-71B3-4b9a-9489-5FE6850DC73E}” (without the quotes) and click “Find Next.” Once the Registry Editor finds this folder, you will see that inside it is a folder named InProcServer32. Click on this folder, and delete both registry keys inside. Now, just exit the Registry Editor and reboot. With any luck, this will get rid of this sluggishness for you.

Read more on Hear Ye Hear Me…

I have to thank Francis Till, Web Editor for NBR Online, a very popular
business weekly in New Zealand. We're kinda working together on
this particular story.
I just wanted to be treated fairly (as
any customer should). He's helping me put together the pieces, and
I appreciate it. As I said before, I'm not a journalist. I'm just
a customer. Granted, I'm a customer who has influence over a
pretty darn big audience – but I try not to throw my weight around
(you wind up looking smaller than you actually are). If Dell was
honest with me… if they made a higher-quality laptop… if they
honored their service agreement… I wouldn't be half as upset. I
just don't know who to trust anymore. Something's rotten in the
state of Denmark – and even though I live in California, I can
smell it from here.

Read more on Dell Rehash…