2003

You're sitting there thinking to yourself: “Yeah, RSS is great and all – but why doesn't Courtney wear a thong in her Webcam? And would she really spank my IP? That, and how do I set up an RSS feed for my site – or for a site that doesn't have one available?” Looks like myRSS may be your answer. I ran a few general news URLs through it and the service came through with usable results. The problem? The primary site is as confusing as hell. Even with this description: “myRSS requires no programming experience, is completely automated and all channels are available for free,” other parts of the site left me reaching for the Tylenol. Methinks an editor needs to lend his/her services. Still, this doesn't cost us a thing to use – and it's a killer idea (long overdue). I applaud its creator, but would encourage him/her for more straightforward information organization at some point in the future. The “sponsorship” section should have clear-cut bulletpoints of benefits; the “creation” page should have a numbered list of simple directions; the front page should not be a blog of other products; et cetera. I could also do without the redirect page, but understand why it's there. I offer this unsolicited feedback not because I'm a mean person – but because I wanna see this thing grow.

Read more on Syndication Sensation…

Jodie says I look like the Uniblogger with this jersey on. I've just been feedin' my need for news. Somebody linked to Feedstering Mozilla, but I'm still using IE 90% of the time. Never fear! TweakUI for XP is here! Within its 'Internet Explorer' entry, open the Search branch. Create a new search prefix, enter “rss” (or whatever) into the first field, then this URL (courtesy of Surfmind). If you have any other version of Windows, I believe that X-Setup has a plugin that should do the same thing.

Read more on RSSing the Bar…

Why doesn't someone create a reverse eBay of sorts? I'm looking for a way to… “backup” my Game Boy cartridges via USB. I found a few scattered online retailers that carry the Gameboy Advance XG-Flash 256MB, but each one of the sites has lousier than lousy ratings. Even Craig's list didn't help me (and where's their RSS feed?!). Perhaps I should offer them some of my blog stock?

Read more on Handheld Hell…

The blog song via Solonor. If this doesn't launch someone into the A list, I don't know what will. A box of Krispy Kremes?

Gretchen returned a foam pillow to Brookstone this evening. I stood outside the store, peering over the balcony to the floors below. From behind, I hear: “Hey, it's Chris Pirillo!” My normal reaction would be to turn and run, but somehow the mall had rendered my instincts moot. Turns out to be pt (master of the Segway). He's down here for a conference; we had talked about hooking up at some point this week. What a nice surprise, to see him earlier than expected. He was getting a coat at J. Crew… not like you care. I let him caress my GBA SP. Was that too much information?

Read more on Too Much Information…

Hey folks! The site (as you can see) is still coming together – including the speakers page. We're working on a handful of BIG names for you. So, who's already confirmed? You're not going to believe it – but I'll tell you, anyway. How'd you like to shake hands with Jim Louderback? Ya know, the geek who's written for every other computer publication on the planet? Oh, and if you had the chance to talk to John C. Dvorak, what would you say? Think about it for a while, because he's speaking at this conference, too. And have you ever heard of this Web site called Slashdot? Yeah, well CmdrTaco is gonna be presenting at Gnomedex 3.0, too. And that's just for starters. Stay tuned!

Read more on Gnomedex 3.0 Updates…

We needed an extension cord, so I picked one up from Radio Shack this afternoon. It came with a tag attached, but I tore it off so that I could transcribe the warning for you. Danger! [That's how it starts] Electrical cords can be hazardous. Misuse can result in FIRE or DEATH by ELECTRICAL SHOCK. Please read both sides carefully and follow all directions. During use: keep away from water; do not use when wet; keep children and pets away from cord; do not plug one extension cord into another; avoid overheating; uncoil cord and do not cover it with any material; do not drive, drag, or place objects over cord; do not walk on cord. After use: grasp plug to remove from outlet; always store cord indoors; always unplug when not in use; do not unplug by pulling on cord; do not remove this tag. Oops. I'm gonna die! And just in case some of you still don't understand how to operate one of these bastards, they also offer this word of advice: do not connect a three-prong plug into a two-hole cord. Lesson learned: do not taunt happy fun cord.

Read more on Shocking News…

I was checking out a link that someone sent me earlier, and stumbled upon this jackpot of RSS feeds. Insane! They've even got one set up for Robert Blake, for chrissake. Now, if only they'd add Charlie, I'd be set. I'm telling ya – if you don't have a RSS file, I ain't likely to return to your site. M'kay? Even if you have cool tools like this one or this one.

Read more on RSS Feed Jackpot…

The new Gnomedex site is live.

Link lives on with this afternoon's purchase of a Game Boy Advance SP. I couldn't resist. The last handheld gaming system I owned was Sega's Game Gear. Now I have a feeling the GB is going to 0wn me. It's so compact – and backwards compatible (for the most part). Got any old cartridges you wanna get rid of? I don't have much lying around here… a couple sets of computer speakers… Steve Oedekerk DVDs (Thumb Wars, Thumbtanic, The Blair Thumb)… et cetera. Now, I'm off to a few review sites to see what diversions should be populating my pockets. *Whoosh!*

Read more on Game Boy!…

My new favorite blog: More Stuff 4 Less. Now, imagine combining this with Marc's idea. Stop going to content – start letting it come to you. That was the idea behind starting Lockergnome seven years ago. The model is changing, and I believe I'm ready to adapt.

Read more on More Stuff 4 Less…

I love upgrades – especially when they work. Right now I'm listening to my MC Hawking MP3s on test hardware: Creative Inspire 6.1 6600 speakers plugged into a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum card. Physics has never sounded so good. Hell, even the little 'klack' that Windows spits back when I click a link sounds better. Yeah, it's like night and day compared to what I was using before (old Cambridge Soundworks 5.1 speakers and on-board SoundMax audio). At first, I couldn't even get my system to recognize the card – at all. See, I swapped out my FireWire card for this PCI upgrade (and put it in the same slot). Moving up one beige bay resulted in harmony. I installed the driver set and installed (pretty much) all the software on the installation CD. Four random lock-ups later, I realized that Creative's software is total crap. Yeah, it's all junk on XP. Hell, even their wimpy little volume control panel takes four seconds to load on a P4 3.06 GHz with 1GB of RAM. The UI is all over the map, too. Yikes. Solution: I'm avoiding their code at all costs. I wanted to listen to their DVD audio disc, but… even that doesn't work properly. Well, at least everything else sounds fantastic!

Read more on You Down with Audigy?…

Tired of hearing about “the War?” So were Elijah Wood and Kevin Costner. They successfully lobbied Fuzzy to enable you to search the Feedster database and return non-war results. Nice, eh? Now, if only we could get all the other indexes to follow suit. In recent days, I've found myself turning to Feedster instead of Google when I wanna search for fresh content. I wonder if Mare Winningham has a blog?

Read more on Kevin Costner's Butt…

Let's read the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language's definition of terrorism: “The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.” Now, let's read this story. The police have my permission to smack these people back into reality, using whatever force necessary.

Read more on Terrorist Attack in SF!…

Like yourself, I was in shock and awe when I heard that some folks had organized a 'vomit in' in our fair city of San Francisco. Did anybody bother to think about the feelings of all of those anorexic people out there? They've got nothing to contribute to the cause! Normally, I wouldn't bring up such points, but I watched last night (in horror and disgust) as two skinnie-minnies gorged themselves at an expensive restaurant. I overheard one of 'em saying to the other: “Fifteen years of starving myself for no apparent reason… and those damn protesters made me think differently.” What has this world come to when we have people with eating disorders changing their lives because of street barfers? The homeless aren't taking this lying down, either. They've decided to organize a “pissing protest” – wherein they (the homeless) will be allowed to pee on toilets until this war ends. Notice I didn't use the word 'in'? Even they couldn't expect their aim to be perfect, having avoided polished porcelain for the better part of two years. But maybe that will change now that people are marching on Market? Maybe. Just maybe.

Read more on Pissin' for Peace…