43 Things

Forget ONE resolution, you need 43 it seems!
Here's what this is all about:


Write down your goals

People have known for years that making a list of goals is the best way to achieve them. Why is that? First, getting your goals in writing can help you clarify what you really want to do. You might find you have some important and some frivolous goals. That is OK. You’ve got space for 43 Things on your list. Not every one of them has to change the world (but save room for the ones that might).
Get Inspired

What do you want to do with your life? It is not an easy question to answer – and you shouldn’t have to answer alone. Browse 43 Things to find out what others want to do. You might find some goals you share. Click the “I want to do this” button to add a goal to your list. Got an idea for a new goal? Just type it in the text box on the homepage or at the bottom of any page on the site. Bam. Now, it’s your thing.
Share your progress

We all have stories about what we care about. Writing down your progress on a goal can help someone else learn about something you both want to do. When you see a goal you’ve achieved, click on the “I’ve done this” button and share a story about how you did it.

2006, Wireless everywhere?

When arriving at my mother in laws this Xmas I discovered an open Wifi network to surf on. Now we're back home and discover two new wireless networks, besides my old Airport Network. It's amazing to think it was 1999 when I purchased my Airport basestation for some ungodly sum of $500, the Blueberry iBook becoming wireless all over the house. With wireless routers cheaper than ever, it seems weird to NOT have acccess. It's just amazing how many, including one in my 'hood that are called "linksys"!

Rob Galbraith DPI: Time, Reuters, New York Times web sites post 2005 pictures of the year slideshows

The web sites of Time, Reuters, and The New York Times have posted slideshow compilations of news photos from 2005:

* Time: The Best Photos of the Year 2005
* Reuters: Pictures of the Year 2005
* New York Times: 2005 The Year in Pictures

(Note: we had some intermittent difficulty accessing the Time slideshow when using Mozilla Firefox; other web browsers seemed to work fine.)">Rob Galbraith DPI: Time, Reuters, New York Times web sites post 2005 pictures of the year slideshows

The Wave That Shook The World

10,000...20,000...30,000...100,000
It was a year ago sitting in the same chair, I watched the reports on Newsworld. The numbers dead increasing on every report. The waves were caused by a 9.0 earthquake, the largest in recorded history, so powerful it knock the earth off kilter. The planet now wobbles 2cm off kilter and spins slighty faster.

The link is to the Nova episode I just watched that explained all that happened, from the perspective of the men who worked in the early warning Tsunamai centre in Hawaii who monitor the Pacific. There was no such warning systems in the Indian ocean, a region well known for large quakes and tsunamai.

Half a Millon people homeless, almost 300,000 dead,this was the deadliest natural disaster in modern times. As the date of September 11th will resonant for years, Boxing day will have a somber reminder for years to come.

King Kong

As planned the BIG BOXING DAYFILM (a tradition started a few years ago) was King Kong.
It was everything they sayit is and more.
First off, I have to mention two trailers. Micheal Mann's Mamai Vice trailer has more style in the 3mins than most cop flicks have in 90. The man virtually invented the idea of finding cool music and marrying it to cool visuals. (Without Micheal Mann, no CSI) I have no desire to see this film but I'd watch the trailer again!(the link is a shorter version, similar)

The trailer for the third Xmen film uses cool music as well, and the whole thing gave me shivers. It looked amazing. Back when I was into comics Xmen was my title. This looks like everything I'd want and more. The 13 yr old in me is PUMPED!

What can one say about King Kong that you don't already know? One thing that got me over and over again, the eyes. Both Naomi Watts and Kong's eyes conveyed so much in the scenes they had together, it was incredible. The feats of technology are astounding. It pays homage to the original in several scenes and lines. It's really scareey for an 7 yr old nephew. It puts peter jackson on the top. Go see it.

Macworld: Mac Gems: Promising Prospect: Tunatic

Have you ever been listening to the radio and wondered what song was playing? You wait until the song is over, hoping the DJ will grace you with the title before starting the next track—sometimes you’re lucky, other times you listen intently for several songs afterwards and still never get the answer.
Given that this is such a common occurrence, it was intrigued when I came across a piece of software whose sole purpose is to tell you what song is currently playing on the radio. But when I read that the software claims to perform this feat by actually listening to your radio and recognizing the track, my first reaction was, “Yeah, right."

And yet Wildbits’ free Tunatic v1.0b does just that: After launching Tunatic, you hold your Mac’s microphone near your radio’s speaker, click the “search” button, and wait for Tunatic to identify the song.

F11 viewfinder solution...Pics..:

This one's for redeye. Cool solution to off the hip style with new Fuji F11. Cameras getting same raves as the F10

more art while waiting

lensbaby 2.0

First shoot I've done with the new 2.0 version of the Lens Baby. Kinda tuff to focus when shooting vertical, but always cool results. Afterwards, in P shop I added some texture, colour and mood.

He shoots he scores!

Shooting Larry Finnson of Clodhopper fame for a testimonial ad destined for the MTS centre concourse. He was having fun, and it was pretty cool to see the new barn from the goal.

Chromoholics

This one's for the photo geeks. A free script for Photoshop CS or CS2 that with the use of a Macbeth color chart, calibrates your default ACR settings for your camera. I haven't tried it yet.

( I can't believe how geeky that all sounds. oh well)

Christmas ad from yesteryear

Paul Kirkland of PKPrint sent this ad to me. I find it so hilariously out of date that I had to share it will all of you. Gee those were the days eh?

Merry Christmas 2005

Greetings and Happy Holidays!

With the arrival of Liam in our lives this year, and this being his first Christmas, Lynda and I feel even more compelled to share the holiday spirit with those less fortunate.

So for the fifth year, we are not sending a physical Christmas card through the mail, and are donating the cost of production and postage to our favourite local charity,Winnipeg Harvest, (http://www.winnipegharvest.org)

With this donation Winnipeg Harvest can purchase approximately 695 jars of baby food!

We hope this holiday season is a safe and warm one for you and yours and look forward to seeing you in 2006!

Skype - The whole world can talk for free.

I am booting up Skype again. I might try it for San Fransico. What is it you ask? It's a free way to talk on the internet. Free as long as both you and the person you want to talk to are using Skype. Why Skype instead of MSN or AIM or Yahoo? Because you can use Skype as a regular phone as well as an online chatting program. Its available is virtually any Operating System. If you have realtives outside of the city, try this program, it's free!

Media Photoshop Retouching

This link is for those not in the biz who aren't aware that pretty much every cover of a magazine has been retouched. Interactive, flash based site that shows the before and after of a cover shot.

Winnipeg 1912

I devoured this book in one day! If you're at all interested in the history of this city, wondered about some of the place names, or why the bridges and rails are where they are, then you really need to read this book many interesting trivia bits, you won't drive downtown without looking a little harder. As the author mentions in the preface the sights of 1912 are all around us. Can you imagine the mingling of horse carriage, new autos, and streetcars all around Portage & Main or better yet from the grand homes of Roslyn over the new Osborne St bridge?

----------
No city on the continent was growing faster or was more aggressive than Winnipeg in 1912. No year in this city’s history epitomized energy and optimism more than 1912. As Canada’s most cosmopolitan and ethnically diverse centre, with 21 millionaires, with most of its population under the age of forty, Winnipeg was also the country’s liveliest (and third largest) city. Winnipeg was the centre of banking, the grain trade, and railroad operations.

But only one year later, trumblingngs of the First World War ended the flow of investments and economic activity ground to a halt, sending the city into near bankruptcy and a recession that would last four decades.

In Winnipeg 1912, historian Jim Blanchard guides us through Winnipeg’s golden year. Beginning New Year’s Day at the Royal Alexandra, Blanchard takes us through backrooms and boardrooms, business deals and social events, right through to the following New Year’s Eve, giving us a surprising and illuminating look at our city. Winnipeg 1912 takes us on a visit to the Industrial Exhibition in July where Winnipeggers watched one of the first airplane flights over the city, the Horse Show where the city’s high society went to see and be seen, and two “lost neighbourhoods”: Roslyn Road and the Jewish district north of the Canadian Pacific Railway yards. You’ll meet the people, rich and poor, who made the city, for a time, a vibrant boom town.

No BS Actions

Carina of Details Photography in Regina pointed me to this site. This is just one of many sites that create actions for people using photoshop in a realworld production envrioment. Though from Carina's results I an attest these actions are particularly nice!

PostSecret

I found this site in Enroute magazine, the inflight mag of Air Canada on the way home from Regina. (Am I the only one who actually takes them up on the "free for you to take" offer? It's a very well done Magalog, considering it's readership and billigualism.)

The idea is you send a postcard to an actual address, confessing your secret, they scan and post them online. Creative and somewhat touching, the collection has been a book and now a gallery show. The web strikes again!

yes Virgina, people still buy music...

All three of these showed up today, a real grab bag of sounds:
the Go! Team a sound collage band kinda like the Avalanches
the best of Cabert Voltaire edgy art techno synth from the 80's that still sounds weird. the Like girl band pop that sounds like Pretenders and other girl bands, very catchy.

We do what we can

with barely enough room to move the chairs, let alone set up a light, we try and create a typical scene in a training seminar. The power point screen will be added behind later. Couldn't grab it, it being on a brown wall and with my softbox hitting that wall! Sometimes you have to cede to photoshop!

Canadian Freightways

Shot on location in Regina

Say good bye to the old barn

In the midst of my hurried exodus from Polo Park, where everyone seems to walk while looking anywhere but where they are going, I notice the wrecking ball was alight on the old barn. Anyone else remember Boxing Day Jets games?

Steichen's Legacy

I bought this heavy, huge book from http://www.bookcloseouts.com/ where you can get great deals on scratch and dent books. This book was $120CDN and I picked it up for about $60. It was in prinstine shape except for a collection of about 6 pages which were bound upside down! Oh well. A small price to pay, to own what might be a definitive collection of this great photographer's life work. I am sure you've seen plenty of his images, you just don't know it!

dack.com > web > web economy bullshit generator

This one's for the copywriters in the crowd. Randomly generates some buzz worthy phrases to make you sound all techy like!

You definitely want to maximize killer paradigms and generate synergistic initiatives to morph enterprise web-readiness, don't you? :-)

Upcoming.org: Macworld SF bloggers lunch and schmoozefest at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (Tuesday, January 10, 2006)

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 (11:30 PM - 1:30 PM)

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
701 Mission St. (Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps)
San Francisco, California 94103
5th annual lunch for bloggers who love blog, eat and talk about Apple.

The time and place are still a bit up in the air. Subject to small changes.

More info: http://www.shellen.com/2005/12/planning-ahead-for-macworld-sf-5th.asp"

Will the song remain the same?

You can't change the chime!! First the happy Mac then the Dogcow/Moof! now this?
--------------

When Apple Computer introduces its first Macs with Intel processors next year, onlookers could be surprised to hear an unfamiliar sound as the systems boot up and load a native copy of Apple's Mac OS X "Tiger" operating system, sources say.

The sound heard as a Mac powers up -- often referred to as a "boot chime" -- has remained a constant on Apple's computer's for nearly a decade, with the last modification coming around the time the company introduced its PowerPC-based Power Macs.

Sources say prototypes of the first Intel Macs currently sport an unfamiliar boot chime, suggesting that Apple is at least toying with the idea making the change -- possibly to symbolize the Mac's evolution from PowerPC to Intel processors.

Without describing the new boot chime, sources quipped that it "doesn't sound anything like the 'Intel Inside' chime heard in most of the chip maker's media advertisements."

It also remains to be seen whether Apple will implement the boot chime modification in shipping Intel Macs, or if the change is meant only to help distinguish pre-production systems.

:: blankmedia.ca ::

Looks like this could be a cheap source for DVD packaging.

United Nuclear - Neodymium magnets

The things you can buy online, crazy! Plucked this link from boingboing.net.

"1.5 times stronger than our previous Supermagnets.

If you really need unbelievably powerful magnets, here they are.
Uses include magnetic steering of nuclear particles in homemade accelerators, levitation devices, magnetic beam amplifiers, scrap iron separators, etc.
Beware - you must think ahead when moving these magnets.
If carrying one into another room, carefully plan the route you will be taking. Computers & monitors will be affected in an entire room. Loose metallic objects and other magnets may become airborne and fly considerable distances - and at great speed - to attach themselves to this magnet. If you get caught in between the two, you can get injured.

Two of these magnets close together can create an almost unbelievable magnetic field that can be very dangerous. Of all the unique items we offer for sale, we consider these two items the most dangerous of all. Our normal packing & shipping personnel refuse to package these magnets - our engineers have to do it. This is no joke and we cannot stress it strongly enough - that you must be extremely careful - and know what you're doing with these magnets.

Take Note: Two of the 3' x 1' disc magnets can very easily break your arm if they get out of control.
Axially Magnetized (the top & bottom flat faces are the north & south poles).

We can only ship these magnets by ground UPS - they cannot be shipped via air as it will interfere with the aircraft's navigational equipment.

These magnets are rated at Grade N45 - the most powerful there is.
Ni-Cu-Ni Plated with Matte finish.
Click on images for larger pictures."

Esquire Cover Gallery

EVERY cover of Esquire, online. You can view by year. Some very cool shots along the way. You can really see the change year to year in photographic styles

Wallet USB drives

Anyone else wanna order some of these?

Coverville

This is one for Redeye. A podcast featuring cover tunes.

Best quote I read this month

Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend.

Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.

-Groucho Marx

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

Watched it on the weekend... Meh, I was bored by the third act. Loud and brash but like their marriage, pretty empty. Even Vince Vaughn couldn't get me to giggle in this one.

Yahoo! Buys Bookmarking Community

Everyone looks at Google as the king of the Web, but as this move shows, as well as an article in Saturday's Globe &Mail, Yahoo is going for the "hearts&minds" approach to winning the war. I think you'll see Yahoo come up from behind and be every bit a player as Google. Perhaps evern more so if you gauge the emotion responses to the Flickr purchase. People get really emotional when their online assets are at stake.

"INVESTING FURTHER IN THE COLLECTIVE intelligence of online communities, Yahoo! on Friday said it acquired the bookmark-sharing site Del.icio.us. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The move comes less than a year after Yahoo! acquired Flickr, an online photo-sharing site that, like Del.icio.us, derives its value from user interaction. Launched in 2003 by Joshua Schachter, Del.icio.us uses a non-hierarchical keyword grouping system whereby users 'tag' each of their Web bookmarks with a set of chosen keywords."

My Blogger Hoodie

Since more people are reading this blog these days I thought I would tell the story about my Blogger Hoodie. I wear when kicking around and at a lot of geek meets people accuse me of buying it. Then I tell them this story

I've been blooging on Blogger pretty much since the beginning, 99. Long time. Back when it was just some guy and a few of his friends and a couple of employees, the guy who owned rolled in some cool at the time new features like emailing your posts, spell check etc. He then decided that personal blogs would remain free but asked if ones used for commercial purposes who want to use these new features to sign up for Blogger Pro. I was using it pretty much like I am now, to talk about anything really, including work. Besides I wanted the cool new features so I signed up. It was supposed to be a yearly fee, but I only ever paid once, something like $50.
Eventually the Pro vs everyone else model didn't sustain itself blogging caught on and then PRESTO Google wanted Blogger. The guy who owned it sold out for big $$, but on the way to the bank he thanked everyone who ever supported Blogger Pro by sending them a Blogger Hoodie for FREE. Nice touch, he didn't have to do that, musta cost him a few bucks.
All the geeks I tell that story to are impressed, not with my hoodie, I mean it's just a hoodie, but with the gesture.

At the Leg

Shooting former speaker of the house Louise Dacquay, to be used as a reference tool for Andrew Valko, who is commisoned to paint the offical portrait.

Long shadow light

Christmas through Liam's Eyes

Even at 9.5 months Christmas is a pretty cool thing! He freaked out when we plugged in the lights

Investors group behind the scenes

Way easier in these tight space with the laptop outside the room or down the stairs

Mogwai: Happy Songs For Happy People (2003)

I just downloaded this. Very cool, very very cool. Too cool for you.

"This is Mogwai distilled to their essence, and the result is an album of huge power, emotional depth and feeling, with vocals submerged under a claustrophobic blanket of effects and guitars battling with viola, cello, violin and piano. It's just as Eno as it is S***t, and all the greater for that."

Dream carts

Redeye's links remind me of the cart system I'd love to own for the studio, Anthro Carts. They ain't cheap, even in US$ but they look pretty well made. A dual montors set up would be sweet too! :-)

And Now It's Dark...

A couple nights ago, I stacked up a few DVD's to get rid of. One of them was a crappy version of Blue Velvet. I heard there was a new updated deluxe versions, this was one of those cheap fast to market copies. But before I did trade this one in, I thought I should watch it one more time.

What a strange movie Blue Velevt is. It's from 1986 but it still freaks me out. Hit the link to learn more about it, many have written countless pages about this film. It's one of a handful of films I can still clearly recall where and when I saw it:1996 in the Eaton's Place theatres, which as you'll recall were very small.Reactions varied from shock and audible gasps to open laughter to people leaving the theatre. Of course I am talking about the first scene where we meet Frank played by Dennis Hopper. It's a very intense performance he's rode the coat tails of ever since. After that you just hang on for the ride and try and figure it all out. Takes a few viewing to really understand everything. It's an amazing film that taken in proper context really blazed a trial for Tarintino and others to follow.

Ironically, as of today I was half way through the film when ElephantMan made reference to Lynch's Twin Peaks. A man named after a Lynch film, references another while I yet another on the brain? Definitely a Lynchian moment!

What do with a dead format this Xmas

Take them old records and make a chip tray!! Don't forget the coasters

Investor's group

These are from Saturday's shoot. A pick of a few low rez's, before any tweaks from the RAWS. So perhaps a bit too warm, oh well. Gives you an idea what I did all Saturday.

Ah the good old days

Remember when? Some snaps from a Winnipeg Foundation shoot at Manitoba Lung Assocation.

Taking stock of Jim Cramer's 'Mad Money' picks

An article on my new fave TV show. I can barely understand what he goes on about, but the article implies you watch and wait for the stroke to take him out
---------------------

Taking stock of Jim Cramer's 'Mad Money' picks

Watching Jim Cramer host his hyperkinetic stock-picking show produces a range of emotional reactions.

There's laughter. There's concern. There's amazement. And let's not forget horror.

To say Cramer is animated is like saying Al Gore is calm -- a gross understatement of character corrected only by an exponential increase in adjective. Al Gore is bone-crushingly dull. Jim Cramer is flat-out insane.

If you haven't seen the show, 'Mad Money' on CNBC, Cramer uses his years of experience as a Wall Street insider and hedge fund operator to help viewers pick stocks. The best part of the show, by far, is the final segment, 'Lightning Round.'

Pacing around the cheesy set of the show and sweating profusely, Cramer takes calls from around the country that invariably begin with the greeting, 'Booya, Jim!'

'Booya, Bill!!!!' Cramer hollers back, staring maniacally at the camera and waiting for the caller to throw out a favorite stock.

More often than not, Cramer will yammer out something positive about the company's standing and recommend a buy, which he signals by slamming this giant button on his desk that produces a stampeding cartoon bull on the screen that bellows its approval as it rushes toward the viewer.

It's like the George Michael Sports Machine on steroids.

A typical Cramer segment this week involved Mike from New York. After the obligatory Booyas, Mike asked about Daimler-Chrysler, which had just canned its CEO.

'Mike in New York!!! YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! Daimler-Chrysler??!! THIS IS NOT THE AUTO COMPANY YOU WANT TO BE IN!!!!!!! I like General Motoooors!!!!!!!!!'

It was a rare rejection of a stock from the relentlessly bullish Cramer, but it followed his primary mantra: 'I LIKE TO OWN BEST OF BREED!!!'

It's one call after another, with Cramer growing increasingly agitated and loud. You actually start to fear for his health. In other words, it's great TV."

The Year in Review

A collection of year end, top ten lists for 2005, covering the spectrum.

Q-Unit - Greatest Hits

A mash up featuring Fiddy and Queen!!!

Intense Colour

A great article on switching to LAB from RGB in photoshop to give you that intense colour you miss from Velvia slides.

Yeah sorry this one's for the geeks in the crowd, as well I had to put the link somewhere I can recall it on my machine at work!

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

The collection of short stories Close Range by Annie Proux is a great book. All the short stories lead up to the last one, which is by far the best, Brokeback Mountain, about two range hands who slowly realize their undlying love for each other. It's a gay cowboy love story, I know what your thinking, but anyone who's read it agrees, it's a great story.

Well now the unthinkable has happened. It's been made into a full length feature movie, by the guy who made Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee. It stars two very popular actors. (Hit the title to see the imdb listing).

The film of course will get A LOT of attention when released. It will be buit up into an amazing filme when advance word is it's a good one. It was filmed in Calgary. I wonder if Shel will like it. Cowboys kissing just sends a really mixed up message!

Temporary Layouts, Easy credit rip offs

There are signs that I should just keep to photos. This is one of them.
Monday I ranted for about 600-700 words about discovering TVLand's Good Times weekend marathon while in Fargo, my childhood relationship with the TV shows of Norman Lear, and their profund effect on me growing up.

I swear I hit "publish" on this blog. POOF! Gone, vanished, never to be seen. I was waiting for the elephant man to call me and relate his undying love for Adriene Barbeau of Maude fame, but when I never got the call it made me wonder. I checked and it was gone.

Maybe it's just as well.

One is the Loniest Number

It just sucks to work on Saturday. I'll spare you with the reasons or justification by the client and in turn by myself to my family. You drive to work at the same time, but there is no one. yes eventually I will be on location and surrounded by the client and several other people, but you always feel like everyone else is having agood time while you slough away.

The worst part is you don't take Monday off to make up for it, oh no. That's when everyone else expects you to be there because you've drilled into them the mantra "Ian doesn't work weekends"

Dolly Parton: Little Sparrow (2001)

I downloaded this, cuz I heard it was good.

No this isn't the schmaltzy Dolly of the Late 70's-90's. This is the Dolly getting back to her Bluegrass and Apalachian roots. If you enjoy the bluegrass at the Winnipeg Folk Fest or of "O Brother Where art Tho?" then you'll love this one. She really does have an amazing voice! There is still no forgiving her for Islands in the Stream, though.

Doors of Opportunity

I'll let the people who can write talk about doors closing and others opening. Nature of the biz, you just gotta roll with it.

Winnipeg Foundation Annual Report

a Snap taken from one of the several shoots we're doing this month of the annual report.

"Waiting for the client to get organize"- art

Don't touch my stuff

I travel with alot of gear on location. As much as clients want to help, the best thing they can do is stand back and hold the door for me on the way out. I have a place for everything and a routine I follow that ensures everything gets back in the bag. Yeah it sounds anal buts it's the only way I know 100% all these little pieces come back with me.

The other pet peeve I have is when people mishandle my extension cords. Nothing gets my eyes rolling faster than someone rolling my extensions up with their elbow/forearm and the using the last bit to tie the whole mess up like a noose. (Did that make sense?) Ever see an extension cord that's all twisted and knotted up? That's why! The cord has a natural memory, if you adhere to it, the cord will remain knot free for many years. Yah know, maybe it's just better if I do it. Thanks anyway!

November Skies

Not always in the right place, but still beautiful none the less

Temporary layouts, easy credit ripoffs

While in Fargo last weekend I stumbled across the TVLAND Good Times weekend marathon. (If you're too young to know about this old TV show, hit the link to learn more.)

I was amazed to find myself watching these shows at every chance I could get. Yes, some of it was an aging Gen X nostalgia, the same fuel that seems to drive all these TVshow to movie remakes. (see Dukes of Hazard). But on closer inspection, there was MORE to that show. All the episodes I managed to catch had the same basic premise, to rise above their situation and "get out of Ghetto!" All of them ended on a sour note, the schemes not panning out, the MAN keeping them down, or worse.

But the overwhelming sentiment was that they still had each other, the family was intact and it all revolved around the undying resolve and love of the matriarch, Flo. You couldn't watch this show and NOT have a soft spot for her, with her huge gap tooth grin and hearty laugh, coupled with her strong will, she represented all motherhood. I still recall the episode where the father is killed in a car accident as one my first lessons on grief. Several other episodes tackled other weighty issues, but with just enough humour to keep you interested. Now keep in mind I was in grade 5-6 when this show was at its peak so these things may have effected me more than they should have, but it was a HIT show and we all watched it! I wasn't the only one with a Kid Dynomite t-Shirt that September.

But then I got thinking about where the show came from. It was a spin of Maude which was a spin off of All In the Family. All three shows tackled the issues of the day, didn't always offer solutions but informed and entertained. The episode of Maude where the daughter is unwed and pregant, the episode of All in The Family where Sammy Davis Jr comes to the house, I remember these clearly as they awaken me to issues I didn't even know about it.
So is Norman Lear, creator of all these shows, the patriarchal influence of my generation? That's for some university student to write about. All I know is that the 70's were a golden period of television, where a few great shows used the full potential of the medium and created a lasting impression on my generation. After that, how could you seriously expect me to watch Friends?

HOWTO defeat Apple's anti-DVD-screenshot DRM

My geeky tip comes from Boing Boing. If you ever wanted to share a certain image or scene from a DVD, here's how.


Apple disables the OS X screenshot capability while a DVD is playing (this is a giant pain in the ass if you've got a little DVD playing in the corner of the screen while blogging and you have to quit the player when you want to take a screenshot of your browser). There's a work-around, though, for those times when you want to make a (generally speaking, perfectly lawful) screenshot of your DVD player:

1) Put your DVD in your computer and open DVD Player (Applications -> DVD Player) if it does not open automatically. Go to Video -> Maximum Size, or hit Command-3. Fast forward to the frame you want to capture, or select the scene to start at.

2) Open the Terminal (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal). Type this, or copy / paste it right in the Terminal:

screencapture -i ~/Desktop/dvd.jpg

Your mouse should turn into crosshairs. Now hit the space bar. Your mouse should now be a camera. Click the window the DVD is playing in. A file called "dvd.jpg" will appear on your desktop.">Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things: "HOWTO defeat Apple's anti-DVD-screenshot DRM
Apple disables the OS X screenshot capability while a DVD is playing (this is a giant pain in the ass if you've got a little DVD playing in the corner of the screen while blogging and you have to quit the player when you want to take a screenshot of your browser). There's a work-around, though, for those times when you want to make a (generally speaking, perfectly lawful) screenshot of your DVD player:

1) Put your DVD in your computer and open DVD Player (Applications -> DVD Player) if it does not open automatically. Go to Video -> Maximum Size, or hit Command-3. Fast forward to the frame you want to capture, or select the scene to start at.

2) Open the Terminal (Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal). Type this, or copy / paste it right in the Terminal:

screencapture -i ~/Desktop/dvd.jpg

Your mouse should turn into crosshairs. Now hit the space bar. Your mouse should now be a camera. Click the window the DVD is playing in. A file called 'dvd.jpg' will appear on your desktop."