2006 February 25

Hey Nick, I still loves ya (always have, always will) - but there seems to be a new game in town: The Blog 50. I tried to leave a comment along the lines of “expecting to get shoved out of the top 50 by someone on MySpace,” but the comment form barfed with a Fatal error: Call to undefined function: blc_latest_comments()… blah blah blah. That, and there's no easy way to contact the people on the Blog 50 - so, either they have to fix their comments form, or I'll be forced to write on my chest again.

Well, I posted an interim update (day 1.5) to introduce the concept of Googlefasting to Lockergnomies. Didn't use search for the better part of the morning, as I was out and about (including speaking at the Podcast Hotel over lunch).

• Need to stop mail from coming to us while we're gone on vacation. I try “stop mail” in Yahoo! and MSN - don't find what I need. I try “stop postal service” in both, again, with no useful results (as in, a direct link to the USPS page). I try “vacation postal service” and finally get a #1 result in Yahoo! - I should've used that keyword in the first place, and attribute this round to PEBKAC.
• Starting to realize I have an emotional attachment to Google - a somewhat unhealthy co-dependency thing. It's not that the other search engines don't work, it's just that I've been treated so well by Google's search for so long that I'm comparing… my old girlfriend to my new girlfriend. Sorry, that's the only analogy that comes to mind.
• Set up a Ning account for grins. Needed to find a Dog Breed list (preferrably, separated by commas). Tried “Dog Breeds” to no easy avail. “dog breeds list” yeilded many more workable results. I probably would have to do the same thing in Google - it just doesn't seem to be as painful (largely because I'm used to seeing what it is I want to see - or don't feel bad if I can't find something).
• Searched for “vista virtual pc” in the hopes of finding instructions for setting up Windows Vista on Microsoft's Virtual PC. No matter what keyword combinations I used, I couldn't find one decent set of instructions. Gave up after 10 tries. This is where all search engines could learn a lesson - especially if I use keywords like “instructions” in my query. Gimme the help first!
• Needed to find Microsoft's tool to mount ISO files, so I used “mount iso windows microsoft” in Yahoo! and… the first hit wasn't for Microsoft's official page. Again, it'd be nice if search engines could recognize that I was looking to download a file, possibly, and filter out the EXE links (even scan 'em for viruses automatically, and tell me whether or not they've been flagged as spyware).
• Still can't figure out how to work MSN Search. The results are just… not relevant. I must be doing something wrong.
• Did several other searches centered around trying to find updated information about Vista beta 2 on Virtual PC (and its ghastly performance). Can't say that Google would have fared any better, as I'm not using it - which is really putting a crimp on my productivity (even though that crimp may be half mental).

When I was asking around for iPod case suggestions, a few folks told me about OtterBox. It's not the most lightweight iPod case on the planet, but I'd go as far as to say that it's one of the strongest. Indeed, the sample I've received is quite sturdy - your iPod ain't gonna suffer in da Otter. You flip open the hard case (which has soft layers atop the screen and wheel) then insert your iPod into the open space. The back of the OtterBox has a removable belt clip attachment, which I'm quite fond of (although, if I remember correctly, Ponzi requested that I no longer wear anything on my belt unless I plan on turning into a superhero). The OtterBox isn't necessarily for the casual iPod user - it's for the rugged enthusiast. Waterproof, drop protection - what more could you want in an iPod case?
Ponzi remarked that the case was too heavy - but I would assert that you wouldn't trust your $400 investment inside of something that weighed less than air. Dunno. Maybe I've suffered from too many crushed and scratched pocket devices to trust them in anything that isn't tried and true. OtterBox has other cases for other gadgets, too - and if you play hard, you need a case that can keep up with you. Adopt an otter - it's more fun than saving the whales.
Well, this is just the first one I've had a chance to look at. If you know of any others that might be just as nice as the OtterBox, send those suggestions my way. Andru, what was it you recommended? I couldn't consider protection that lacked a non-scratching cover for both the wheel and the screen, mind you. I'm saddled with a 60gb 5G iPod, too - making it much more difficult to find a case that really works.

Eh. I'm not sure if this is going to work. I don't think people care enough about their dogs to shoot videos of 'em doing stupid things. Or, if they do, I don't think the owners would be crazy enough to share 'em with the world. Then again…? Well, here's Dogstars (if you think your dog(s) have what it takes).