New Look, New Site
Saturday, 04 Aug 2007 Categories: Geek
Well, after nearly five years, I've pulled the old
design down. Well, it's still there, just at the old
URL until I decide what I want to do with it. It's
been a long time coming. I love the old design but
I'm also sick of it.
I decided to also take this moment in time to launch my own vanity domain. Raggedcastle will remain and will likely get repurposed in some fashion. But I wanted to make this change. So, there it is.
The new design is actually a template in the tool I use to manage this site (RapidWeaver) and I'll be designing my own template at some later date. But for now, this will do nicely.
With this change I am also enabling comments for the first time in years. If this new system keeps the spam at bay, then I'll keep them enabled. You're welcome James.
I decided to also take this moment in time to launch my own vanity domain. Raggedcastle will remain and will likely get repurposed in some fashion. But I wanted to make this change. So, there it is.
The new design is actually a template in the tool I use to manage this site (RapidWeaver) and I'll be designing my own template at some later date. But for now, this will do nicely.
With this change I am also enabling comments for the first time in years. If this new system keeps the spam at bay, then I'll keep them enabled. You're welcome James.
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Crowded House, Fish and Chips, Foxwoods, and Cigarettes
Saturday, 04 Aug 2007 Categories: Arts &
Entertainment | Home &
Family
Crowded
House released their first CD in nearly a decade
a few weeks back and it has been in heavy rotation at
our house since. I thought it would be fun to take
Ann to see them in concert and found out last week
that they were playing at Foxwoods in just a week's
time. That sealed it. I got on the phone, got tickets
and made reservations to stay overnight in the Great
Cedars hotel (I figured we wouldn't want to drive
back so late after the concert was over).
We had a complete blast. Crowded House is absolutely wonderful live and lead singer Neil Finn is quite funny as well. Somehow he got on the subject of bassist Nick Seymour being hungry and needing fish and chips as well as how all of the band could use mojitos or, at the very least, tequila. Shortly after, tequila shots and limes were delivered to the front of the stage and at least Neil and Nick partook. A few songs later, a nicely dressed room service cart with fish and chips was rolled out on stage and Nick ate the fish and had a few chips. Neil then took the plate, had a few himself and then began walking along the front of the stage passing out chips to whoever wanted them.
I managed this picture with my iPhone during the concert:
All in all, the concert was wonderful and it ended far too soon. And while they played a nice mix of old and new favorites (and a few songs I never remembered having heard before), they didn't play Into Temptation, my all time favorite song. Ah well, as Ann pointed out, they could have played for four hours and have left us not having heard all of our favorites.
It was also our first visit to Foxwoods itself. That was a trip. We ended up not bothering to play any games in any of the casinos. It was just too smoky. Cigarettes were everywhere and smoke was everywere. It got pretty gross. But this morning we went to the Grand Spa and Ann got a massage while I “read” (listened to an audio book) and then took a dip in the whirlpool and swimming pool. I even sat in the steam room for a bit. By the end I didn't want to leave the spa and have become addicted to the whole idea of the place. I haven't been that relaxed in I don't know how long.
Alas, we had to head home again and I am dog-tired now. But it was a wonderful way to start the weekend.
We had a complete blast. Crowded House is absolutely wonderful live and lead singer Neil Finn is quite funny as well. Somehow he got on the subject of bassist Nick Seymour being hungry and needing fish and chips as well as how all of the band could use mojitos or, at the very least, tequila. Shortly after, tequila shots and limes were delivered to the front of the stage and at least Neil and Nick partook. A few songs later, a nicely dressed room service cart with fish and chips was rolled out on stage and Nick ate the fish and had a few chips. Neil then took the plate, had a few himself and then began walking along the front of the stage passing out chips to whoever wanted them.
I managed this picture with my iPhone during the concert:
All in all, the concert was wonderful and it ended far too soon. And while they played a nice mix of old and new favorites (and a few songs I never remembered having heard before), they didn't play Into Temptation, my all time favorite song. Ah well, as Ann pointed out, they could have played for four hours and have left us not having heard all of our favorites.
It was also our first visit to Foxwoods itself. That was a trip. We ended up not bothering to play any games in any of the casinos. It was just too smoky. Cigarettes were everywhere and smoke was everywere. It got pretty gross. But this morning we went to the Grand Spa and Ann got a massage while I “read” (listened to an audio book) and then took a dip in the whirlpool and swimming pool. I even sat in the steam room for a bit. By the end I didn't want to leave the spa and have become addicted to the whole idea of the place. I haven't been that relaxed in I don't know how long.
Alas, we had to head home again and I am dog-tired now. But it was a wonderful way to start the weekend.
iPhone Goodness
Friday, 03 Aug 2007 Categories: Geek
I got an iPhone. I got swept up in the hype and did
what I swore I would not do: I got a 1.0 device. I
knew full well that 2.0 would be far better and that
by getting 1.0, I would not be able to get 2.0. But
on the other hand, while the very first iPod was not
at all compelling to me (I didn't get an iPod until
the 3rd generation), the iPhone is a very compelling
first generation device. And in the two weeks I've
had it, I have come to depend on it. It's my grocery
list, it gives me directions to get places, it lets
me take pictures when I don't have my camera with me,
it's my iPod, I watch movies on it, I watch TV shows
on it, I find myself watching YouTube on it,
something I never did before, I show off photographs
on it, I follow stocks on it (why on why did I not
buy Apple when it was $12/share?), I surf on it...
oh, and I also use it as a phone!
A lot of people have complained about the AT&T part of things but I was already in an AT&T contract so I had no qualms about that particular move. I firmly believe that all of the cellular providers are fundamentally evil so I really don't see the downside of this one versus that one.
I've even submitted my first hint to MacOSXHints..
A few blogs and podcasts have made my iPhone experience that much better. They are as follows:
A lot of people have complained about the AT&T part of things but I was already in an AT&T contract so I had no qualms about that particular move. I firmly believe that all of the cellular providers are fundamentally evil so I really don't see the downside of this one versus that one.
I've even submitted my first hint to MacOSXHints..
A few blogs and podcasts have made my iPhone experience that much better. They are as follows:
- NetNewsWire: This venerable RSS/Atom Newsreader is an excellent way to keep up on my news feeds. I follow nearly 200 sites in a fraction of the time I would were I visiting each one sequentially. It is made even more useful by the addition of search feeds which allow me to search the net for arbitrary terms (such as "iPhone") and capture news from more than just those sites I regularly follow.
- The Apple Phone Show: This podcast and blog has been one of the better sources of news and info about the iPhone.
- CaliTV: Cali Lewis provides wonderful, short video podcasts (perfect for watching on the iPhone) of quick tips, news and notes.
- MacBreak Weekly: This is a LONG podcast and yet I manage to find the time to listen to the whole thing. Leo Laporte has a virtual roundtable with Scott Bourne (of the Apple Phone Show, above), Merlin Mann (43 Folders and much more), and others. It's 40% bizarre banter (which I find endlessly diverting and fun) and 60% good information. My only wish is that I was part of the conversation. I often find myself wanting to interject a comment or correction or quip. You guys taking volunteers?
- The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW): While not iPhone specific, it still provides a wealth of good information and news. I am late to this particular party but finding it one of my favorite Apple-related blogs.