December 2001

*Note: There is no new song in this post.

So you have an audio CD and you want to convert some of the songs on it into mp3 format. How in the world do you do that? It’s easier than you think. There are only about a million places on line with tutorials and software to help you rip your CDs. If you are one of those types that really likes to know the nitty-gritty details, though, here are some links to get you started:

• WinDAC - the Windows Digital Audio Copy program (my favorite)
• the BladeEnc - a dll you need to run WinDAC
• the LAME encoder - a dll you need to run WinDAC (with links to other mp3 ripping programs)

Here’s another one of my dad’s photographs. He’s been kayaking all over New England for the last year or so. He’s got a thing set up so he can have his camera on the end of the kayak while he’s … er … kayaking. (Y’know, there really aren’t any synonyms for kayaking.) I just think it’s a cool shot.

Double Merry Super Christmas Eve!
Or, alternately, Bah Humbug!
You choose.

I absolutely adore that they call the show “Monday Night Football” even when it’s airing on a Saturday night.

If you’re looking for a really insulting and / or offensive eMail address or web site, look no further than datapimp email and hosting services. The original is still the best.

*Note: I actually think anothermartiniplease.com is kind of cool. I don’t like martinis, though. Yech.

And this is Pen-Pen’s web site. No kidding. Really.

Another in the “I Can’t Believe This Site Still Exists” Department: The page “People Are A–holes. So F— You, A–hole.” has been ranting since at least ‘98. I know it seems like it’s a rude, obnoxious site to think to visit, but if you go you’ll see that you probably actually agree that most of the people he claims are a–holes really are, in fact, a–holes. Plus, there’s a really great butt right on the front page.

Why, yes, I am cleaning out some old link lists. I’m bored. Sue me.

I’m only somewhat suprised to see that e-Holster is still alive and kicking. I found a two-year-old shortcut to this place and surfed to their site. It looks like they still offer the exact same wacky product that they offered when I created the shortcut.

“Is that a concealed weapon?!”
“Nope. Just my PDA.”

*Note to self, to Robyn, and to Todd: Do not ever brag that you are “sittin’ right on top of Jish“!

*Special bonus note: Muffed Punt is, in fact, the funniest phrase in all of professional sports.

So … how do you like this layout?
You can now choose from several themes for the page. They are listed in the sidebar. Currently the themes are “Original”, “Holidays”, “Me-Fi”, and “Lost Pages”. Original is what you should get by default. Holidays is red and green. Me-Fi and Lost Pages are tributes to two of my favorite designs. Please let me know how they look in your browser. Merry Christmas Eve Eve.
[click to continue...]

God is a concept
By which we measure
Our pain
I’ll say it again
God is a concept
By which we measure
Our pain

I don’t believe in magic
I don’t believe in I-Ching
I don’t believe in Bible
I don’t believe in Tarot
I don’t believe in Hitler
I don’t believe in Jesus
I don’t believe in Kennedy
I don’t believe in Buddha
I don’t believe in Mantra
I don’t believe in Gita
I don’t believe in Yoga
I don’t believe in Kings
I don’t believe in Elvis
I don’t believe in Zimmerman
I don’t believe in Beatles
I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that’s reality

The dream is over
What can I say?
The dream is over
Yesterday
I was the dreamweaver
But now I’m reborn
I was the walrus
But now I’m John
And so dear friends
You just have to carry on
The dream is over

With more than 150 million queries per day, Google offers a unique window into what is happening in the world on any given day, as well as a fascinating retrospective on the peaks and valleys of popular culture.

It was cool to see that the Beatles ranked #1 in the Most Searched Music Groups this year.

Life began with direct coding on bare, carbon-chemistry hardware, like amino acids and proteins. Higher programming languages, like DNA and RNA, evolved gradually. Computers began in a similar fashion, with programmers coding on to the bare machinery of their circuits. Higher programming languages have followed, each generation more powerful than the last.

There is, of course, one big difference between biological and machine evolution. It took life billions of years to evolve the information-processing skills that lie behind the evolution of the human brain. Computers have made giant strides in half a century.

- more on Artificial intelligence

I’ll be doing all sorts of crazy testing stuff here in the next few hours. Like this post for example. Woo! Anything can happen on a wild afternoon in Los Angeles.