Source : Chris Pirillo (subscribe)

This is the guy responsible for the LOLcat craze.

Go ahead and caption this with your own bit of text, upload the edited photo, and post the link to it below for all to see.

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• The World’s Most Annoying Gadget

I Can Has Eric Nakagawa? is a post from: Chris Pirillo

I Can Has Eric Nakagawa? is a post from: Chris Pirillo

ShopPBS – Holiday Preview Sale: 25% off Purchase (exp 11/5/09)

with some great deals on PBS DVDs:

25% off George Carlin: All My Stuff 14PK DVD, only $142.48 + Free Inspector Lynley DVD + Shipping

Read more on ShopPBS Coupons…

• Moosejaw Coupons
• Lenovo Coupons
• Sensational Beginnings Coupons
• BestBuy Coupons
• Eddie Bauer Coupons
• Southwest Airlines Coupons
• VistaPrint Coupons
• CameraWorld Coupons
• Adidas Coupons
• C&C California Coupons

ShopPBS Coupons is a post from: Chris Pirillo

ShopPBS Coupons is a post from: Chris Pirillo

Source : Chris Pirillo (subscribe)

http://twitter.com/chrispirillo – This is where I’m staying for [re]Think Hawaii, courtesy of @AlohaBruce and his crew. The room is spacious, the amenities are aplenty, and the bed gave me a very peaceful night’s rest.

Read more on Hawaii Hotel: Outrigger Waikiki…

• Top 5 Reasons I Could Live in Hawaii
• Expedia.com Coupons
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• Orchard Hotel Review

Hawaii Hotel: Outrigger Waikiki is a post from: Chris Pirillo

Hawaii Hotel: Outrigger Waikiki is a post from: Chris Pirillo

Peggy Olson: Sex sells.

Don Draper: Says who? Just so you know, the people who talk that way think that monkeys can do this. They take all this monkey crap and stick it in a briefcase, completely unaware that their success depends on something more than shoeshine.

Don Draper: You are the product. (Its) you, feeling something. That’s what sells. Not them. Not sex. They can’t do what we do and they hate us for it.

Stolen from THE HORSE (rigpea82.blogspot.com)

Moosejaw – 20% off Moosejaws Anniversary Sale (exp 11/4/09)

and there are some great deals to be had including:

30% off Montrail Women’s Streak Shoe, only $66.50 + Free Shipping

Read more on Moosejaw Coupons…

• ShopPBS Coupons
• Lenovo Coupons
• Sensational Beginnings Coupons
• BestBuy Coupons
• Eddie Bauer Coupons
• Southwest Airlines Coupons
• VistaPrint Coupons
• CameraWorld Coupons
• Adidas Coupons
• C&C California Coupons

Moosejaw Coupons is a post from: Chris Pirillo

Moosejaw Coupons is a post from: Chris Pirillo

It’s @chrispirillo in Hawaii! T-shirt by @ValDezign. Very grateful that Hawaii Vacations helped me get here to attend [re]Think Hawaii.

• 
  But there's a contradiction here. There's a belief that, if you gather enough anecdotal evidence, it magically becomes hard evidence. You can even see this in the latest ad campaign for Windows. Millions of people sent in their ideas, or were surveyed or studied, and their opinions -- anecdotal evidence -- is now real evidence. How does this magic work? Well, it can't. Two people who said different but similar things, or even the same things under different conditions, can't be lumped together in some statistical box.
  
  But that doesn't mean that anecdotal evidence is worthless. Quite the contrary. It's invaluable (and Microsoft should be commended for actually listening to users). Anecdotal evidence provides you with something that hard data can't -- feelings. In a typical usability test or, these days, a web site A/B test, success is measured by whether or not somebody succeeds in a task. How about whether they frowned or smiled, tapped their fingers on their desk impatiently, hummed to themselves, or cursed at their computer?
  
  I recommend that you gather as much anecdotal evidence as you can and let it infect your world view. Try to feel what your users feel, think like they think, and use that to design your products. And, after that, gather hard evidence on whether you were right or wrong and move forward from there. But, if you don't start with a feeling about what's the right thing to do, no amount of hard evidence will help you.
  
  ]]> http://chris.pirillo.com/jay-grandin-and-leah-nelson-20000000-versus-20-audience-vs-impact/ http://chris.pirillo.com/jay-grandin-and-leah-nelson-20000000-versus-20-audience-vs-impact/
  Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

  Leah Nelson and Jay Grandin have established themselves as accomplished New Media producers with web content that has seen audiences of over 35 million. The success of their short films, comedy and documentary work has led to contracts for original series with companies such as Myspace, and inspired them to found Giant Ant Media, a web-focused video studio that creates unique campaigns and shows for online audiences.

  Read more on Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson – 20,000,000 versus 20: Audience vs. Impact…

  • Warren Etheredge – The Art of the Interview (Or How to Grill a Star)
  • Beth Goza – Nerd Craft: A Field Guide
  • Angel Djambazov – Amazon, Affiliates & Taxes
  • Micah Baldwin – Building Influence Online
  • Mark Glaser and Jim Ray – Hacker Journalists at Gnomedex
  • What Happened at Gnomedex 9.0?
  • What Does Gnomedex Swag Look Like?
  • What Does a Standing Ovation Look Like?
  • Would You Drink This?
  • Do You Want to Have a Pillow Fight?

  Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson – 20,000,000 versus 20: Audience vs. Impact is a post from: Chris Pirillo

  Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson – 20,000,000 versus 20: Audience vs. Impact is a post from: Chris Pirillo

  ]]> http://www.ithoughts.de/agilo-trac-error/ http://www.ithoughts.de/agilo-trac-error/ http://chris.pirillo.com/virtual-machines-love-windows-7/ http://chris.pirillo.com/virtual-machines-love-windows-7/
  Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

  Josh called in last week during live calls to talk with me about Windows 7. His general opinion at first was just that Windows 7 is a “great operating system”. I had to chuckle at that, because I of course agree. As we talked more, we got into a bit of a discussion about how much better Windows 7 runs on our Macs inside of Boot Camp. In my opinion, anyway, Vista never did run well on any type of virtual machine. It just plain stunk.

  Read more on Virtual Machines Love Windows 7…

  • Boot Camp vs VMware or Parallels
  • Virtual Machine Speed Tips
  • CrossOver, Boot Camp, Parallels, VMWare…
  • Windows 7 – Better for Gamers?
  • Best Buy and Windows 7
  • Windows 7 Thoughts
  • How Much Computer Memory Does Windows Need?
  • What’s New in Windows 7: User Account Control (UAC)
  • What’s New in Windows 7: A Lot!!
  • Parallels Coupon

  Virtual Machines Love Windows 7 is a post from: Chris Pirillo

  Virtual Machines Love Windows 7 is a post from: Chris Pirillo

  ]]> http://www.pragprog.com/news/pragprowrimo-git-cast-mastering-rubyrails http://www.pragprog.com/news/pragprowrimo-git-cast-mastering-rubyrails

  Join us for PragProWriMo; new Git screencast, Mastering Ruby and Rails course coming up.

  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/iEeyfut9esA/my-uncle-spy-part-iii.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/iEeyfut9esA/my-uncle-spy-part-iii.html "That last catch was swell Neil!"
  
  A young guy in a letter jacket opened the door of the old bar in the industrial section of Trussville, Alabama. "Yea, but it was your great block on that running back that cleared the path!", Neil Self said as they all paused in the open doorway. Neil had always been stocky, tough looking, and also fast, a combination that was usually deadly to the opposing team in the game of high school football. Tonight he wore his letter jacket just like all the other guys. "Ladies first!" Neil jokingly said as he shoved his friend inside the dimly lit room. It was a little after 11:00pm and the few remaining patrons sitting at the bar were unshaven dirty steel workers in for a late night drink before going home.
  
  Neil recognized an old farmer sitting alone, a friend of his father. He lived up the (Old) Springville road and had a small cattle farm. Neil had bailed hay for a dollar a day at his farm when he was younger. It was one of his first jobs and he hated it. The farmer had always been kind to him though, and given him a ride home in his old Model T truck at the end of the workday.
  
  Neil and his four buddies approached the bar top and found a seat. "Jimmie, we are celebrating tonight!" The old bar tender got a worried look in his eye but sat down 4 short whiskey glasses. "Hewitt High is going to state!" Neil proclaimed to the rest of the bar as he held up his glass of Jack Daniels. The four chimed in with hoots, hollers and dog barks. A few even growled and snapped their teeth at one of the other patrons sitting at the end of the bar as if they had turned into Huskies (the school mascot) themselves and had found a nice piece of meat to fight over.
  
  They all downed their drinks and slammed them down on the bartop and pointed to their glasses indicating that the bar tender should "keep em comin'!".
  
  A lone figure in suit jacket and undone tie sat in the shadows in a back booth. His eyes posted on the party at the bar as he sipped his beer in silence. He slowly pulled out a coaches play book with a large white Husky bust on the front and wrote four names on the back page.
  
  
  ~----------------------------------------------------~
  

  
  Neil sat at his desk reading Beowulf in English class. The teacher lectured on about how fantasy stories in medieval literature had helped bring a sort of escape to the common folk when told by the bards and storytellers. "They also served as a warning, or lesson learned for young people that were told by their parents when the children acted up." The teacher looked at Neil with her annoyed glare. Neil laughed to himself and let a slight smile out as he buried his head behind the text book once more.
  
  All of a sudden the classroom door opened and a messenger handed the teacher a note. "Neil Self, you need to report to Coach Smith in the office." A few smirks and whispers were quickly "shushed" by the teacher as Neil closed his English book and gave a smart-alic wave to everyone as he headed out the door.
  
  Approaching the office, through the glass, he saw his head coach and the principal standing in front of his three buddies that were seated on the bench just inside. Neil took breath and opened the door. "Have a seat Neil". The principal motioned to the bench. "So the word has gotten to me that you guys got drunk and started a fight AGAIN last night at Jimmie's bar. I'm not gonna fault Jimmie. He knows you are all underage but the man has to make some money. The blame lies on you Neil. What is this? The fourth time you guys have started trouble? The first was puking on poor old Ms. Abernathy's front porch, then you hit the stone wall at Mr. Chandler's, not to mention the wreakless driving around Trussville scaring people half to death." The coach paused, "The principle and I have determined that this is the last straw for all of you. We've tried suspension and detention, and its just not getting though your hard heads!" the coach rapped hard on Neil's forehead. Then the principle spoke up, "There has been too much pressure from the school board and the PTA, underage drinking is not the type of example that we want to convey at Hewitt Trussville High. You guys are off the team for the rest of the year. And that means no scholarship referrals either."
  
  Neil's mouth dropped. His first thought was what would "Daddy" say when he found out? His plan was to go to Florida State on a football scholarship and continue his education. He thought he had that taken care of. The Self family didn't have any money to pay for college. He was angry not only at the coach, but at himself. He had to find other options...
  
  As he trudged back to his classroom he noticed a brochure hanging on the "Career Board". The bright brochure heralded the glories of the "weekend warrior" in the Alabama National Guard. He could earn scholarship money and even go to school part time while serving his time! He pulled the push pin out of the cork board and stuffed the brochure in his pocket.
  
  

  Disclaimer: This and the following blog posts are works of fiction written by myself (Josh Self) that are based on real facts both positive and sometimes not so positive from my uncle's real life and choices that he made. The events and characters in this story could have happened but more than likely happened differently than portrayed here. I would like to thank the family and relatives of Neil Self in advance for allowing this artistic liberty in the spirit of a tribute to his life and an attempt to keep his memory alive through story.

  
  Photo by foundphotoslj
  and
  by lolaleeloo2
  
  Stolen from THE HORSE (rigpea82.blogspot.com)

  
  

  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/5HYtSykgdnw/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/5HYtSykgdnw/ http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470496649.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470496649.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW

  A unique resource that combines all aspects of Web testing and makes it completely specific to ASP.NET As Microsoft's key Web technology for creating dynamic, data-driven Web sites and Web applications, ASP.NET is incredibly popular. This is the first book to combine several testing topics and make them specific to ASP.NET. The author duo of Microsoft MVPs covers both the test-driven development approach and the specifics of automated user interface Read More...

  ]]> http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470413964.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470413964.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW

  Serving as a complete introduction to PHP 5.3, this book walks you through all the major concepts of PHP in a way that’s easy to follow, with plenty of code snippets illustrating each concept to aid learning. You’ll discover how to install and configure PHP 5.3, how to get started with simple programs, and the basic building blocks of PHP such as variables, operators, expressions, arrays, and objects. Coverage working with files, XML, and MySQL; building Read More...

  ]]> http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470525932.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470525932.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW

  The perennial bestseller returns with new details for using the latest tools and techniques available with JavaScript JavaScript is the definitive language for making the Web a dynamic, rich, interactive medium. This guide to JavaScript builds on the success of previous editions and introduces you to many new advances in JavaScript development. The reorganization of the chapters helps streamline your learning process while new examples provide you Read More...

  ]]> http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470484306.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/productCd-0470484306.html?cid=RSS_WROX_ALLNEW

  Authoritative guide to Oracle WebLogic Server-from Oracle insiders If you're an experienced Java developer who wants to expand your skills, Professional Oracle WebLogic Server is the perfect guide for you. This book is written by a top-notch author team that that includes one of the lead architects from Oracle’s Fusion Middleware Development Architects team. Follow their best practices, workarounds, and sound techniques and confidently develop even Read More...

  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/wMoEvXOs3Lc/my-uncle-spy-part-ii.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/wMoEvXOs3Lc/my-uncle-spy-part-ii.html Outskirts of West Berlin, West Germany
  10:37 pm August 30th, 1961
  
  The stench of diesel exhaust filled the air. It had snowed the day before and the streets were still icy. Smokey clouds of CO2 puffed out of the exhaust pipes from the convoy of US Army supply trucks that sat idling on the old cobblestone streets. A few yards ahead, a blockade of spiraled razor wire and torn up streets impeded the movement of the trucks filled with vital humanitarian supplies for the recently over run Communist East Berlin.
  
  "What's taking so long?" Sargent Neil Self muttered to himself as he sat in the cab of the old 1952 model Ford army truck. There was talk of an airlift this month of some new 1960 model trucks in this year for their support detachment. They still hadn't arrived. Fortunately, the heat still worked in the old mule. The temperature outside was a bitter 18 degrees tonight and he for one was thankful for the life giving heat coming off of the engine block.
  
  Apparently there was some kind of misunderstanding about the supplies tonight. They had been delivering these convoys over the past few years as the backlash from the Berlin Airlift had subsided. What Sgt. Self didn't know was that on the morning of August 13, 1961, Berliners awoke to discover that on the orders of East German leader Walter Ulbricht, a barbed wire fence had gone up overnight separating West and East Berlin and preventing movement between the two sides. The barbed wire fence would soon be expanded to include an ominous wall and guard towers. The Berlin Wall would prevent the West from having further influence on the East, stop the flow of migrants out of the communist sector, and ultimately become the most iconic image of the Cold War in Europe.
  
  Tonight was one of the first convoys after this historic event and they had been ordered to "stand by for further orders" as their commander went in to negotiate with Soviet officials about this latest "crossing".
  
  Sgt. Self tapped his fuel gauge, which was now showing "E". Half of the gas had been used on the 2 hour drive up from the Clay Headquarters Compound on Clayallee in Berlin's Zehlendorf district. He left the truck running and opened the door and stepped out onto the icy sludge. He slammed the door and pulled out a bent Lucky Strike he'd been saving all night behind his ear. The warm flame from his cold metal Zippo kissed the tip of the cigarette and soon the warm smoke of the tobacco filled his lungs. He closed his eyes for second, the nicotine triggering a memory in his neural synapses of a time not too long ago... a night that he will always think about for the rest of his life...
  
  
  Disclaimer: This and the following blog posts are works of fiction written by myself (Josh Self) that are based on real facts both positive and sometimes not so positive from my uncle's real life and choices that he made. The events and characters in this story could have happened but more than likely happened differently than portrayed here. I would like to thank the family and relatives of Neil Self in advance for allowing this artistic liberty in the spirit of a tribute to his life and an attempt to keep his memory alive through story.
  Stolen from THE HORSE (rigpea82.blogspot.com)

  
  

  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/FCVSC_p0zjo/can-ux-swing-election.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/FCVSC_p0zjo/can-ux-swing-election.html
  First, the State of Washington is unfortunate enough to have an idiot named Tim Eyman who makes his living on proposing initiatives. He doesn't do anything else. Initially, he denied that he was making money off the initiatives that he proposed, but enough information was made public that he had to admit it. When he proposed his first initiative, he apparently sold watches, but I think that business is long gone. His first initiative was a "$30 car tab initiative." Eyman picked that number out of thin air (literally, it came from Colorado, with no relationship to the cost of anything in Washington). Some of the people who voted for it who promptly lost their jobs after the election because of all the programs that were slashed, but they didn't see the connection. And Eyman, who said repeatedly that the initiative wasn't about him, went out and bought an expensive SUV right after the election. Amazingly, Eyman managed to garner a following of people who'll vote for anything that will supposedly cut their taxes without regard to what it actually means. This year, Eyman's initiative, I-1033, is one more poorly thought-out proposal. Pick the worst state budget in ten years, in the midst of a recession, and force the state to stick with that budget, essentially, forever.
  
  So what's this have to do with UX? Well, Eyman is only thinking about himself. What provocative initiative can he propose to guarantee that he's still paid a salary? He doesn't care about the experience of the average Washingtonian. I don't even think he cares if the initiative passes. If it fails, he's got another one to propose to pay him through the next election. This is no way to design a government that works for all the people. With good design, you need to think about the whole range of people that will be affected -- and, funny thing about it, that's what our whole legislative process is designed for. Gadflies and devil's advocates can be extremely useful and have a long, rich history in this country. If Tim Eyman actually cared about the state, he would work with our government rather than against it, but, alas, there's no profit in that.
  
  On to the second issue.
  
  King County royally screwed up the ballot, literally marginalizing I-1033. Take a look:
  
  
  
  
  
  The first column of the ballot contains the instructions that nobody reads, and the top of the second column looks like the start of the ballot, not the middle. This means that some King County voters, perhaps many, will start in the second column and miss voting in I-1033.
  
  The naysayers argue that it's trivial and that, even it's not, it doesn't matter because both people voting for and against the initiative will miss it. On the trivial argument, go back to the top and think about the Butterfly Ballot and what an effect it had. On the second argument, that would be valid if every ballot in the state had the exact same problem, but only King County has the problem. And it is not the case that voters in King County and the rest of the state vote for and against initiatives in approximately equal percentages. In fact, King County voters are more likely to vote against Eyman's initiatives. Combine that with the fact that King County is the most populous county in the state and you definitely have the possibility of a fraudulent election. Despite a large push by the No On 1033 campaign to alert voters to the problem, I am sure that we will see significantly fewer people voting on I-1033 than on other ballot items.
  
  In summary, design really matters and bad design hurts. The only question here is whether the bad design will be big enough to swing the election.
  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/2jwWbgsul9g/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/2jwWbgsul9g/ http://geeklad.com/5-reasons-google-wave-is-not-ready http://geeklad.com/5-reasons-google-wave-is-not-ready http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/R_jLLV5yhRc/my-uncle-spy-part-i.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/R_jLLV5yhRc/my-uncle-spy-part-i.html "(Important) families are like potatoes. The best parts are underground."
  -- Francis Bacon
  
  So it was with my uncle Neil...
  
  He passed away a few years ago of a heart condition (that seems to run in our family) and I couldn't make it to his funeral that day for some insignificant reason or another. I've always felt bad for not going and not getting to see him the last few days of his life (but more about that later). Then before my aunt passed away last year of Parkinson's she gave our family some of the few remaining possessions that my uncle had kept around for a few years stored in a back closet, forgotten for years. The first item was a '50s era Army gas mask that is still usable in case of the next bio / nuclear attack. I thought it was cool and useful so I claimed it and use it mostly for a wardrobe prop for my short films.
  
  But, the most mysterious item that was passed down to our family was a strange brown leather briefcase. It sat in the garage on top of my dad's tool cabinet until I happened to see it one day. I found a chair from the kitchen and retrieved it from the dark recesses of the shelf. It was slightly moldy, the hinges rusty with age. I noticed several stickers from moving companies and airlines that were still hanging on, the sticky all dried up and crumbling indicating that it was well traveled. I cleared a small area on my dad's work bench and attempted to open the clasps on the front to allow me to access the mysteries that were hidden within.
  
  The first one flipped open so quickly that it startled me! I started to get excited about finding out what was inside, so I tried the second one and was disappointed to find that it was very rusty and wouldn't even budge. Luckily my dad's "cure-all" was within arms reach. I attached the tiny red straw to the nozzle and sprayed a quick burst of WD-40 into the lock mechanism. I wiggled the open button back and forth a little but no luck. The clasp was actually locked. How do I unlock this? Where is the key? I knew some locksmithing basics (not enough to do anything illegal unfortunately) and remembered that most (older) briefcase locks were kept locked with a simple 1-3 pin tumbler and there are not that many variations of that kind of key. Luckily this one looked and felt like a one pin.
  
  I had an old key from another briefcase that I owned that had one pin. I already had a slight inclination that this key wouldn't work, but i was going to try it anyway. I slowly inserted the key into the keyhole. IT FIT! That was only the first step. As I slowly turned it, i heard a grinding sound. The key begrudgingly turned and finally, after some wiggling, got it all the way around clockwise. Could it be?! I tugged on the clasp button feeling the grinding of the small metal parts inside. The brass flap flipped open, also flipping some WD-40 in my eye. Small price to pay for the final revelation of the contents of the mysterious briefcase. I pulled the old key out and slowly raised the top of the moldy briefcase. As the sunlight from the garage window slowly leaked in to the inner bowels of the case, I heard a metallic scraping and then a sharp metal object sliced out at me from the darkness. I quickly drew my hand back noticing a small red cut on my finger as the top fell closed once again...
  
  To be continued...
  
  photo by Dunechaser
  
  
  
  Disclaimer: This and the following blog posts are works of fiction written by myself (Josh Self) that are based on real facts both positive and sometimes not so positive from my uncle's real life and choices that he made. The events and characters in this story could have happened but more than likely happened differently than portrayed here. I would like to thank the family and relatives of Neil Self in advance for allowing this artistic liberty in the spirit of a tribute to his life and an attempt to keep his memory alive through story.
  Stolen from THE HORSE (rigpea82.blogspot.com)

  
  

  
  ]]> http://www.pragprog.com/news/pomodoro-technique-illustrated-grails-in-print http://www.pragprog.com/news/pomodoro-technique-illustrated-grails-in-print

  Pomodoro Technique Illustrated now in beta; Grails: A Quick-Start Guide now in print and shipping.

  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/GoVqTIhWY8E/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/GoVqTIhWY8E/ http://www.brianjeremy.com/2009/10/19/sql-server-nightly-backup-script/ http://www.brianjeremy.com/2009/10/19/sql-server-nightly-backup-script/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/udLTmRsE9-w/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/bagofspanners/%7E3/udLTmRsE9-w/ http://geeklad.com/make-cross-domain-ajax-requests-with-xdrequest http://geeklad.com/make-cross-domain-ajax-requests-with-xdrequest http://www.pragprog.com/news/core-data-in-print-seven-languages http://www.pragprog.com/news/core-data-in-print-seven-languages

  Core Data: Apple’s API for Persisting Data on Mac OS X is now in print and shipping. Bruce Tate selects the languages for Seven Languages in Seven Weeks.

  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/FOC8cWUKp4M/does-tullys-want-customers.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/FOC8cWUKp4M/does-tullys-want-customers.html tullys.com and type in your zip code, perhaps your address, and you'll get a list of nearby Tully's. Or at least that's how it's supposed to work. Give it a try.
  
  Can't figure it out? Neither could I. It turns out that there is an entirely separate web site, tullyscoffeeshops.com for that purpose. And tullys.com does not contain a link anywhere to that site. Do they want customers?
  
  This is a surprisingly common problem. Usually, it's just sites trying to be too subtle, favoring conforming to some style sheet over actually being usable. Look at bestbuy.com, for example, where Store Locator is mixed in with the non-parallel Weekly Ad, Outlet Center, Services, and Gifts. or costco.com, where it's even smaller and in an even bigger list.
  
  But Tully's has taken it to a new level by removing the link completely!
  
  ]]> http://www.ithoughts.de/why-using-todo-lists-gtd/ http://www.ithoughts.de/why-using-todo-lists-gtd/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/TheSimianDowntimeAnalyst/%7E3/9wWZFe5QBIc/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/TheSimianDowntimeAnalyst/%7E3/9wWZFe5QBIc/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/BBZkuLgysmE/does-t-mobile-want-to-steal-my-identity.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/BBZkuLgysmE/does-t-mobile-want-to-steal-my-identity.html
  The T-Mobile agent who called me asked for part of my social security number to verify that I was who I said I was. I refused. Hey, you called me! How do I know you're not a scam artist? He told me that he was from T-Mobile and I should believe him, that, if I didn't give him my social security number, he couldn't help me. All things a scam artist would say, of course. The fact remains that I had no proof he was who he said he was.
  
  

  I tried to explain to the guy that T-Mobile should never, ever ask a question like that because, to the extent that people answer it, you're training them that it's OK to give your confidential information to somebody who calls you on the phone. You're enabling scam artists. Unfortunately, he just didn't get it.

  
  

  The rules are simple. In the world of client-server architecture, it's known as "never trust the client". In the real world, it's "never trust somebody who calls you."

  • Never, ever give confidential information to somebody who calls you, even an innocuous thing like an account number. You don't know that they are who they say they are.
  • If you call somebody, never, ever ask for confidential information when you call somebody. If you need confidential information, ask them to call you back at a number which is posted prominently on your web site or which is well known (like 1-800-T-MOBILE).

  
  
  
  
  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/6h9NOOijDp4/is-comcast-helping-scammers.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/thisuser/%7E3/6h9NOOijDp4/is-comcast-helping-scammers.html
  Comcast, like all Internet service providers, is directly impacted by so-called botnets, machines that have been hijacked by viruses and other malware to serve as robots in the service of scammers. The botnets are useful to the scammers because it allows them to send spam and launch attacks from many locations instead of a single location, which makes them much harder to catch and shut down.
  
  Comcast's idea is to inflict popup ads on their customers that appear to be compromised. which provide them with information. According the the AP article, the ad says "Comcast has detected that there may be a virus on your computer(s). For information on how to clean your computer(s), please visit the Comcast Anti-Virus Center."
  
  There are a couple of problems with this:
  • To the extent that it works, it trains people that popup ads that claim to be helping you clean your computer are legitimate. The problem is that, with this sole exception, none of them are.
  • It trains people that clicking on a link in an unexpected popup ad is an ok thing to do, when it almost never is.
  • It trains people that something like this can be trusted, when it's very easy to fake it.

  I don't like the popup in any event, but, if they're going to do it, I think there are a couple of things they must do:

  • The popup shouldn't look at all like an ad and it certainly shouldn't mimic any OS feature.
  • The popup should contain no (that's zero) links in it. Just to be clear: None. Instead, the ad should say "... please visit comcast.com in your browser and click on the xyz link ..." Train people not to click on links like that and train people that the only way to know for sure that they're actually on the comcast site is to go to comcast themselves, not to trust a link.
  • The popup should not have any button in it. No close button. Nothing to click on at all. Just "Close this window after you've read it." Don't train people to click buttons in unexpected popups.

  And how about thinking if there's a better way to attack the whole problem, like doing something in concert with Microsoft and Apple (OS vendors), or Microsoft, Mozilla, and Google (browser vendors).
  
  ]]> http://www.pragprog.com/news/pragpub-magazine-android-1-51-6 http://www.pragprog.com/news/pragpub-magazine-android-1-51-6

  October issue of our magazine, PragPub, now available. Hello, Android Second Edition for Android 1.5/1.6.

  ]]> http://www.ithoughts.de/tell-me-the-truth/ http://www.ithoughts.de/tell-me-the-truth/ http://geeklad.com/there-is-no-undo-in-google-wave http://geeklad.com/there-is-no-undo-in-google-wave http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/G9zFGwb_HOU/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/G9zFGwb_HOU/
  
  
  ]]> http://www.pragprog.com/news/iphone-sdk-development-3-0-in-print http://www.pragprog.com/news/iphone-sdk-development-3-0-in-print

  iPhone SDK Development, for the latest 3.0 iPhone SDK is now in print and shipping.

  ]]> http://geeklad.com/10-amusing-tweets-about-google-wave-invitations http://geeklad.com/10-amusing-tweets-about-google-wave-invitations http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/ikEQ5ZHc-pY/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/ikEQ5ZHc-pY/
  
  
  ]]> http://www.ithoughts.de/censorship-in-germany/ http://www.ithoughts.de/censorship-in-germany/ http://www.brianjeremy.com/2009/09/13/sprite-step-off-wins-site-of-the-day/ http://www.brianjeremy.com/2009/09/13/sprite-step-off-wins-site-of-the-day/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/rajtilak/%7E3/CuFnGqq9MCM/love-sex-and-poetry.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/rajtilak/%7E3/CuFnGqq9MCM/love-sex-and-poetry.html ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/sWqc8-97oII/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/sWqc8-97oII/
  
  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/0hWclKY1FJA/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/0hWclKY1FJA/
  
  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/FtWybJ5Aidc/is-steampunk-dead.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/blogspot/thehorse/%7E3/FtWybJ5Aidc/is-steampunk-dead.html
  Victorian costumes, airships, steam engines, bizarre old yet modern weapons, fueled by a little magic or Æther... The awesome Steampunk subculture has been a part of my life since I played my first Myst game on PC and I watched The City of Lost Children wide eyed.
  
  Steampunk movies like Sleepy Hollow, City of Lost Children, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Army of Darkness (although more Dieselpunk) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen have always been some of my favorite movies. I am a member of steampunk groups on SecondLife, I read steampunk books, watch steampunk anime (Steamboy), play steampunk games (Myst / Riven, Thief, Final Fantasy) and now recently I have started making my own weapons, jewelry and costumes (for Halloween this year), (yes, I am a nerd).
  
  The Rumors
  
  Something has been worrying me. I hear rumors that Steampunk is dead. Internet forums, blogs like Gizmodo and other naysayers are announcing the death of steampunk. Their reasons... you can only make so many modified weapons, tea kettles, and "steampunkified" normal everyday gadgets for one lifetime.
  
  But, gadgets are only a small part of the sub-culture. Alternate history, costumes, games, fiction books and writing, and Internet steampunk culture (like groups on SecondLife, blogs, and forums) continue to thrive and inspire new creative works. The most recent being a new book by George Mann called The Affinity Bridge (thanks to my friend Sara for the heads up) which was just released last month (July 9th, 2009).
  
  
  
  The Evidence
  
  There are also a few new steampunk style movies that have been released recently. Most notable are the 2007 adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book Stardust, The Golden Compass, the adaptation of Jeanne DuPrau's teen books City of Ember and most recently Focus Feature's "9" in which a group of sapient rag dolls, living a post-apocalyptic existence find one of their own, 9 (Elijah Wood), who displays leadership qualities that may help them to survive.
  
  The uberpopular handmade craft selling site Etsy is also full of steampunk art, jewelry and creations that are very popular and sell on a regular basis. I also see steampunk art seeping into mixed media conventional art pieces, photography and mainstream jewelry.
  
  So to all of you naysayers (I just like that word), I say Nay! Don your goggles, fire up the airship! Steampunk is not dead!
  
  Disagree? Leave me a comment...
  Stolen from THE HORSE (rigpea82.blogspot.com)

  
  

  
  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/nZgBNw8T0Xs/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Reviewsfromtheshed/%7E3/nZgBNw8T0Xs/
  
  
  ]]> http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090906154242159 http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090906154242159 http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090905155034523 http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090905155034523
  I've got quite a few emails about yesterday's post (Global Light). I was asked what Global Light is, so that's what I wanted to explain today.
  
  

  ---

  
  Global Light affects three Layer Styles:
  
  • Drop Shadow
  • Inner Shadow
  • Bevel and Emboss
  
  Those styles have in common that they all have a little checkbox labled "Use Global Light". This let's you, as well as in the dialogbox I showed yesterday, adjust the global light.
  
  So what is it then?
  If a layer style has Use Global Light checked, it will always use the light settings you've set in the dialogbox or any other layer style which uses Global Light. So for example: you've checked global light on for Drop Shadow and Bevel and Emboss, they will both keep the same light settings and when you change those settings, no matter where it will change for both Drop Shadow and Bevel and Emboss.
  
  I hope this is clear because I've been having a hard time trying to explain this.
  I'll see questions pop up in the comments if you guys have any :).]]> http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090904192934468 http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090904192934468
  Today one of those things you don't notice when you're not looking for it. You know what global light is? Yeh? Well, how do you change it without the layerstyles-dialogbox open?
  
  Or even better: how do you change it without any image opened?
  
  

  ---

  
  It's actually very simple. The option's almost always enabled. So:
  
  • Go under the Layer-menu
  • Select Layer Style
  • Click Global Light...
  You can change the angle (0° - 360° (starting a 0° on the east side and going counter-clockwise to 360°) and the altitude (0° - 90° (90 = closest to center)) (distance from the point to the center).
  
  Click OK to set it. It will affect all layer styles using Global Light.]]> http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=2009090217052172 http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=2009090217052172
  Today I'm explaining a button that most people ignore. I really didn't even notice it before 5 minutes ago.
  Have you every found a button called 'New style...'??
  
  

  ---

  
  Like you may have guessed, it has to do with layer styles. In the layer style-dialogbox, under the OK- and cancel-buttons: there it is.
  
  With this button you can actually save presets for your layer styles. So for instance I recently saw a tutorial by Corey Barker on Layers TV about a distanced stroke (great tutorial, Corey ;)). I could apply the effects he showed and save them in a preset. When I ever want to apply such a preset, I could open the layer style dialogbox and click the Styles-tab, in the left top corner. There are your presets.
  
  Just like brushes, gradients et cetera, you can load stylegroups, save them, change them , delete them all in the menu under the right-facing arrow on the stylestab, right next to the 'OK'-button. You can also so this in the Preset Manager (Edit -> Preset Manager..; no shortcut by default).
  
  Any questions, suggestions or corrections: post a comment ;).]]> http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090903100630611 http://blog.robinkanters.nl/article.php?story=20090903100630611 Ever wanted to apply an action on very much images? There actually is a very easy way of doing this in Photshop. By my beleive, this is very old feature as I've seen it in Photoshop 5.
  
  

  ---

  
  Under the filemenu, go to Scripts and select 'Image Processor...'.
  
  In here, you can select whole directories on your system to be processed.
  For example, you can save them all as tiff/jpg/psd-images, or apply an action on them.
  
  Of course you can make very simple actions like 1 blur, to blur all images in a folder, but you'll get the idea.]]> http://revver.com/video/1887440/road-trip-family-vacation/ http://revver.com/video/1887440/road-trip-family-vacation/

  Author: l0ckergn0me
  Added: Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:50:21 -0800
  Duration: 0

  http://twitter.com/chrispirillo - Please don't ask why I agreed to do this with my parents. This is going to be a long weekend.

  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/rajtilak/%7E3/JG9F-aPQJVg/label-clouds-on-blogger.html http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/rajtilak/%7E3/JG9F-aPQJVg/label-clouds-on-blogger.html ]]> http://revver.com/video/1868736/lego-dad/ http://revver.com/video/1868736/lego-dad/

  Author: l0ckergn0me
  Added: Sat, 22 Aug 2009 06:33:15 -0800
  Duration: 0

  http://live.pirillo.com/ - My dad rules.

  ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/TheSimianDowntimeAnalyst/%7E3/n6cuUYW_Fy4/ http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/TheSimianDowntimeAnalyst/%7E3/n6cuUYW_Fy4/