2003 May

I'm entering this post through Outook 2000,
thanks to Greg, Matt, and Simon. They've finally turned the
PIM into a very rudimentary blogging tool. “We are pleased to announce
the release of NewsGator 1.2! This is a major release; e-mail integration is
tighter than ever, the NewsPage has been significantly enhanced, and we've added
posting support, allowing you to post to your own weblog. Numerous other
features and fixes round out this release, undoubtedly making it the most
capable news aggregator on the market today.” [NewsGator News and
Updates] Pure, unadulterated
awesome.

Read more on NewsGator 1.2 Released…

In prepraration for the release of Poodle Hat tomorrow, I journeyed into a local book store and did a little visual moblogging. I still remember getting Running With Scissors. I actually purchased two; one at a Target in Des Moines, and the other in Cedar Falls (on the same day). I had promised a good friend that I'd wait to get it with him, but I didn't. Bad Hair Day was mine the night before it was officially released, but only because the clerks were fans, too. Alapalooza was a tremendous disappointment, but it was one of the first albums I remember reading about online. I'll be happy again when the new CD is in these parody-lovin' little hands.

Read more on Dare To Be Anxious…

On Sunday mornings, my wife doesn't feel very social. She usually hangs out in the kitchen and relieves stress by cutting up cabbage. This is a habit she doesn't want anybody else to see, but we found a way to record her activity. Many Bothans died to bring you this information. This video will self-destruct in 44.04 seconds.

Read more on Spy Hard…

I am not Rick Moranis. I am not Weird Al Yankovic. I am not Robert Carradine. I am not Bill Gates. I am not the Verizon Guy. I'm not a nerd, dork, dweeb, or spaz. Pirillo is an Internet icon. Pirillo is obviously a working professional. Pirillo is my pimp daddy. Pirillo is his name, or so the great Googlism god says.

Read more on He Whois…

Forget Fox Trot. Forget Dilbert. Forget User Friendly. The Little Things is it. The site's mantra is “for geeks, by geeks” – need I say more? Each strip is witty, well-drawn, and full of Hanvey-style humor. Sure, the author doesn't have an RSS feed yet, but… give him time. What won me over? Well, that'd have to be last week's creation. I was just really excited – and still am. Thanks, Brandon!

Read more on My New Favorite Comic…

In the movie, “Enemy of the State,” Gene Hackman's character said to his companion: “You're either very smart or incredibly stupid.” After taking a look at one of my new projects, you'll probably say the same thing to me. Enterprising individuals already know about it, but I'm officially unveiling a new service today. It's
Chris Pirillo's Brain Trust, and by the end of this evening, we'll be launching the list with at least 20 charter members. The subscription fee is real, and I plan on making it worth every penny. People ask me how I do what I do – and how they can do the same. Honestly? All it takes is a little bit of energy and a couple of good ideas. If you're an Internet entrepreneur who understands the value of networking, then I'd love to have you aboard. Anybody else? You're welcome, too.

Read more on Chris Pirillo's Brain Trust…

Wanna keep an eye on me? I've decided to get my photoblog hosted at TextAmerica for now. Their templates suck and they don't offer an RSS 2.0 feed – but the account is free and it's easy to upload entries from my portable device(s). Later, you'll see me head down to Mountain View with Tantek and the gang to see the Matrix sequel. He made me take the mauve pill.

Read more on Pirillo Reloaded…

As of 1:51PM this afternoon, I became the proud father of a Nokia 3650. With polyphonic ringtones, Bluetooth, and a built-in camera, I'll always be ready for the road. Beaming pictures to my Tungsten C is a breeze (via infrared), but Jake went on a wild goose chase for a script to enable me to immediately post wacky snaps to an MT blog via e-mail. We'll see what turns up. So far, I like what I see. I'll have to dive into the manual sooner or later to find out how to transfer MIDI and change my “start screen” graphic. Tomorrow, I may even pick up a few Bluetooth devices just to see what THAT world is like. Here's a thought: would you pay me a $1 a month to be on a private distribution list that gets nothing but pictures from my daily misadventures? Who knows WHO or what I'll run into.

Read more on Mobile Geek…

What would I do if California banned Oreos? I'd do the happy dance, which goes a little something like this: *tappa tappa tappa* Buck the trend: toss your cookies tonight. Anything with fake fat is to be avoided at all costs, on all levels. I don't care how good you think trans-fat-filled “food” tastes – the rest of your body doesn't like it. And don't be fooled by the “partially” part, either – it's full evil. Ask my close friends: I'm a pain in the ass when we visit restaurants, careful not to order anything that might be remotely hydrogenated. My life changed the very day I learned about that crap. In the coming years, expect to hear more about it. Parents: WAKE UP.

Read more on I Hate Oreos…

I received a rather troubling message from a random reader this morning. He claims that people who use laptops for extended periods of time tend to have lower-than-average sperm counts. Since I use notebook computers often, I thought it was prudent to take inventory. Now, I'm not sure what a good number is, but I think 23 is decent. I kept losing count (since my prescription is not as strong as it should be). The total may actually be closer to 22, as I believe I counted one of them twice. None of 'em even looked like me, so genetic mutations may be another side effect from using hot technology on your lap. If I switched to using PDAs more often, my army would probably increase. I'm right handed.

Read more on Every One is Sacred…

The Gnomedex blogroll is up! I've thrown it into my sidebar, and as you can see, there are more than five people coming to Des Moines this summer. So, if you'd like some extra promotion for your blog, go ahead and let me know the e-mail address you used to pre-register for our event and I'll send you the top secret password. And if you haven't already committed, what are you waiting for? There's no guarantee that today's $99 price will be good at the door. Most likely, it'll cost you more if you wait until the last minute. That's just the way these things work.

Read more on Gnomedex Blogroll…

Remember HomeSite? Nick Bradbury leaped onto the software scene with his fantastic HTML editor several years ago (which Macromedia eventually swallowed). I expected nothing less than perfection with TopStyle, his CSS editor for both style sheet newbies and fanatics. It's what I recommended to Robert when he wanted to dive head-first into the world of legacy-free happiness. Nick even went as far as to put an option in the View menu that'll take users directly to the TopStyle blog. Here's a programmer who really “gets it.” Need further proof? He's aiming to release FeedDemon, what appears to be the ultimate news aggregator for the Windows platform. Check out the screen shots and you'll see what I mean. Integration with Feedster, Technorati-style link discovery, and (most importantly) a somewhat-uncluttered UI. Expect a beta download by the end of May, but until then, I suggest flooding his news server with feature requests for what you want to see in a desktop client.

Read more on The Brad is Back…

We're at a club they call DNA – where they have free wi-fi. Amber's layin' down a progressive mix and I'm mastering Graffiti 2. The keypad works much better when I can see it. See ya on da lit side!

Read more on Technotyping…

If you're single and you're horny, clap your hands. If you're married and you're swinging, clap your hands. If your heart is overflowin' with the joy of people knowin' – find the person you're adorin' with your hands. Specifically, your clicking finger – because we just launched the Lockergnome Personals Network a few minutes ago. Gretchen's been keeping me happy. I've been instructed that it's okay to touch as long as I don't look. So, look for me and tell me what you find? Me promise to love you long time.

Read more on Wookin' Pa Nub…

In all my years online, I've never had a site of mine Slashdotted. Never. Today, that all changed. Someone named HackerStickers was nice enough to give Gnomedex 3.0 a juicy plug this morning. We braced our servers for a flood of traffic and barely got a trickle. “THIS is what everybody has been raving about for all these years?!” I could drive more traffic with Lockergnome – and I have. Feh.

Read more on Slashdink?…