PROPS and SLOPS

Health and Happiness

2011-10-23T20:37:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since my last post. A lot has changed. All for the better. I've quite smoking cigarettes, and started exercising! I'm now on Week 5(Phase 2) of P90X. I'm already noticing results. I'll definitely keep my progress updated on here. I'm really enjoying replacing old bad habits with good new ones!

I've also made a commitment to purge my household of as much proprietary software as humanly possible while not sacrificing productivity. No more Windows machines remain in my house. I do have a virtual machine of Windows XP as a backup, and good ole' trusty Mac OS X. I'm running Xubuntu 11.10(Oneiric Ocelot) and Arch Linux on my primary machines. I really enjoy the simplicity of both distributions. Between WINE and VirtualBox, I can safely say I don't need Windows anymore! I'll be sure to document my findings in future posts.

Health and happiness with open source software and exercise! I can't think of a better way to improve my lifestyle!

-BobbyD

DOOM

2009-09-16T21:55:00.003-04:00

The New Yorker had an amazing article on MF DOOM. Check out the excerpt HERE on the Stonesthrow website...

Pioneer's ultraslim DVR-XD09 burner

2009-07-29T16:13:00.005-04:00

Pioneer: ultraslim DVR-XD09 burner

Engadget recently featured an article regarding the death of integrated optical drives. I want a netbook with an external optical drive...if i get one of these! Fancy...def PROPS to Pioneer

GOOGLE APPS

2009-07-24T19:35:00.003-04:00

I finally got my new google voice account and number. It's nice to have an extra expendable number to give out. I like how it saves on text messaging as well. International calling is cheaper than what is offered through wireless or phone providers. Plus it integrates seamlessly with your current phone.

GOOGLE CHROME WEB BROWSER

2009-07-13T19:58:00.004-04:00

I have been impressed with my experience using the Google Chrome web browser. It is fast, reliable, works with the majority of web pages, and looks great. Many features have been integrated to allow for a seamless user expierence. I will not waste your time with details, you can find a full review here. I love my Mozilla Firefox and nothing will change that. However, Google Chrome has some things I really enjoy. DEF PROPS

http://www.google.com/chrome

Toeachizown Vol. 1: LAtrik Dam-Funk

2009-07-09T22:49:00.002-04:00

Toeachizown Vol. 1: LAtrik

DAM-FUNK dropped his new album today. check it out here:

Toeachizown Vol. 1: LAtrik

AMAZING!!!

GOOGLE VOICE

2009-07-08T20:06:00.004-04:00

Google Voice Features:

One number for calls and SMS, voicemail and voicemail transcription, call screening, call record, conference calling, and much more!

More cool things you can do with Google Voice

Find out more and get an invite: Sign Up for Google Voice

Firefox Web Browser version 3.5 released

2009-06-30T22:41:00.002-04:00

The Mozilla powered Firefox Web Browser was released today.

Mozilla Firefox version 3.5

Legacy

2009-06-26T19:36:00.015-04:00

We all know Michael Jackson passed away. He is loved by many for leaving a huge artistic impact on generations past and many generations to come. His death marks the passing of the "King of Pop" and the end of a pop era. He will always be remembered by many, for many different things. Some choose to remember him for his music and artistic abilities, while others choose to remember him for other reasons.

I recently read a status thread on Facebook regarding how newsworthy his death is. Some of the hateful comments from this thread are listed below:

"back from the field...yay. With so much piracy, terrorism, and killing in the world how is Michael Jackson's death remotely important?"[the context of "field" refers to a military deployment]

"back to the field in 11 hours. XML. Btw some 14 kid invented algie driven power source that emits o2 decreases co2 and produces food but apparently fox news is too busy making sure everyone knows michael Jackson died to tell the world about it"
(relating the story of zero co2 emissions = an ignorant understanding of liberal appeal.)

"So he could sing and dance. What kind of contribution to society is that? In the end he was still a sick old man that got away with molesting children and was as anyone who has eyes to see with can tell is a freak of nature. When it's all said and done he sacrificed nothing for the betterment of mankind and made no great addition to our legacy as a country besides grabbing his crotch and dancing. He deserves none of this attention and it could be better spent on something worthwhile and not just on the current armed conflicts but news anywhere"

He "got away" with child molestation because the parents of the victims settled out of court. This is more a reflection of the hypocrisy of our legal system, and a bad decision of the victims parents. Never doubted Michael was crazy as cat shit. However, he still made amazing music that has touched millions of people.

I found an interesting and equally scary fascist quote on the MJ hater's Facebook profile from a 1998 historical fiction novel called "Gates of Fire" by Steven Pressfield:

"War, not peace produces virtue. War, not peace purges vice. War, and preparation for war, call forth all that is noble and honorable in a man."
(undeniably fascist because Spartan culture was fascist)

Is an artistic lifestyle not honorable or newsworthy? I believe the opposite is true. We have many mediums to receive news on a daily basis. Television, radio, internet, and many other options exist to meet the needs of the public. Hopefully, with this many outlets for information in our great country, we can quit complaining about bad news. Television is entertainment and media. There is always room for improvement, and I would love to rely more on television broadcast networks. Take it with a grain of salt. I am not expecting too much in the way of journalistic integrity from a large corporation(s) looking to control as many forms of media as possible.

Why are current affairs even remotely related to the passing of a music legend? Why is Michael not considered newsworthy? Blame television networks for bad news reporting. Don't disrespect a legacy because you don't like the music, or character of the entertainer. Perspective is everything, widen your scope and nothing is even remotely important.

I don't care about pirates, policing the world, or "terrorism". The arts and culture are important to me. Propagating ignorance, hate, and denouncing art sounds like a life filled with fascist ideals, loneliness and boredom. But i guess if you don't like Michael Jackson you must be a pretty boring person anyways. He did a lot more than "grabbing his crotch and dancing". He sold the top-selling album of all time, invented a music genre, brought awareness to many issues, and left behind a catalog of amazing records. People need to stop and look at the "Man in the Mirror".

DIGITAL TV TRANSITION

2009-06-12T19:47:00.002-04:00

Yes it happened...finally. Delay after delay, the time has finally come!

What You Need to Know About the Digital Tansition

"DTV is an advanced broadcasting technology that replaces analog over-the-air broadcasting. Digital broadcasting allows stations to offer improved picture and sound quality along with a host of other advantages over analog broadcasting.

For example, rather than being limited to providing one analog program, a broadcaster is able to offer a super sharp High Definition (HD) digital program or multiple Standard Definition (SD) digital programs simultaneously. Digital television offers many advantages over analog television for viewing broadcast TV.

A broadcaster also can use its DTV signal to provide video and data services that are not possible with analog technology. Full-power television stations serving every market in the U.S. are delivering DTV programming"- DTV.GOV FAQ PAGE

DAM-FUNK

2009-06-11T15:45:00.003-04:00

According to the Stonesthrow website, DAM-FUNK is a DJ/selector and "The next phase of the Ambassador's mission: continuing the classic West Coast tradition into today's scene with dãm's own original "Modern-Funk" compositions."

"Known as Los Angeles' "Ambassador of Boogie Funk," dãm-funk represents the citizens of the Funkmosphere. Headquartered in the Culver City section of L.A., dãm (pronounced: 'Dame' as in Damon) spent the last few years cultivating a musical renaissance rooted in the early-'80s styles known as Boogie, Modern Soul and Electro-Funk."

LOVIN IT!!

Mozilla Firefox 3.5 -- 35 days of Beta until the Official Release

2009-06-10T19:35:00.003-04:00

According to a Mozilla blog post, Mozilla Firefox 3.5 has 35 days left of Beta testing before it is officially released to the masses. Developer features seem to be the strong points of this browser.

"The upcoming release of Firefox 3.5 is a big upgrade for users. It includes new privacy features, improvements in interactive performance and a new JavaScript engine that will improve the experience for users using script-heavy web sites. These are all features that users will appreciate and talk about." - Mozilla Blog

Download the Beta 4 release HERE

Follow Mozilla Hacks on Twitter

For The Ladies: Vivienne Tam, HP Mini 1000 Notebook -- Fashion Meets Function

2009-06-05T19:19:00.010-04:00

Pretty cool Netbook if you ask me. This has been out since September 2008, but is still worth taking a look at for a netbook purchase.

Standard Features:

10.1'' Notebook Computer with BrightView, Widescreen LCD Display and 1024x576 Pixel Resolution
Loaded with Windows XP Home, 60GB Hard Drive Capacity and 1024MB DDR2 Memory
1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 Processor
Built-In Secure Digital Card Slot, MultiMedia Card Slot
USB 2.0, Microphone Jack, Headphone Jack, 2 USB Ports
Bluetooth, 802.11b/g Wireless Connectivity , 10/100 Ethernet LAN Network Card
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 950 Graphics Card
Built-In Webcam, Built-In Microphone
Also Includes Adapter
Features Touch Pad with Dedicated Vertical Scroll Up/Down
Also Features 512KB Cache
10.3 (L) x 6.56 (D) x 0.99 (H) "; 2.45 Lb.
1-yr. Limited Warranty

COLORWARE CUSTOM GADGET WISHLIST

2009-06-04T17:24:00.008-04:00

Here is my wish list for gadgets from COLORWARE.

http://www.colorwarepc.com

GAMESPY -- E3 2009: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Preview

2009-06-04T15:31:00.001-04:00

Colorware Custom DSi.

2009-06-04T15:04:00.005-04:00

Colorware is now spicing up the Nintendo DSi. GO HERE to design your own.

http://www.colorwarepc.com

Engadget: PSP Go first hands-on! (updated)

2009-06-02T16:37:00.004-04:00

photo credit: engadget

PSP Go first hands-on! (updated)

Looks pretty awesome to me! May have to pick one up once they are on the shelves.

Digg Dialogg: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

2009-05-28T16:54:00.000-04:00

HULU LABS

2009-05-28T16:30:00.002-04:00

Hulu has recently released some innovative software and features that increase your ability to use and watch Hulu. I have been playing around with the Hulu Desktop software. I am proud to say I love it!

According to the Hulu Labs website, here is an overview:

"Hulu Desktop is a lean-back viewing experience for your personal computer. It features a sleek new look that's optimized for use with standard Windows Media Center remote controls or Apple remote controls, allowing you to navigate Hulu's entire library with just six buttons. For users without remotes, the application is keyboard and mouse-enabled. Hulu Desktop is a down loadable application and will work on PCs and Macs. It will initially launch as a beta product during which we plan to gather and incorporate user feedback to improve the service."

I hope everyone who uses Hulu takes a moment to check out the new features.

NBA PLAYOFF BRACKET

2009-05-26T22:40:00.001-04:00

GO CAVS!

NBA Cavaliers Team Card

2009-05-26T22:37:00.001-04:00

MUSIC UPDATE: Stonesthrow, Nujabes, Fat Jon and Force of Nature

2009-05-25T17:06:00.005-04:00

So lately I have been listening to a lot of music from Stonesthrow Records.
Here is a taste:

Mayer Hawthorne- http://tinyurl.com/maybeso

Madlib- http://tinyurl.com/madlibcompre

MF DOOM- http://tinyurl.com/mfdoomthemask

Madvillian- http://tinyurl.com/madvillianallcaps

J-Dilla(R.I.P.)- http://tinyurl.com/jdillanooneknows

NEW FIND(s)- NUJABES -
http://tinyurl.com/nujabesfeather
http://tinyurl.com/nujabescountingstars

Fat Jon/Force of Nature-
http://tinyurl.com/fatjonHijiSuruSTYLE
(from the anime Samurai Champloo)

ENJOY!!!

VLC Media Player

2009-04-01T12:47:00.003-04:00

First issue with VLC media player since i started using it 6 months ago. All of a sudden VLC media player has unclickable buttons. Sometimes closing VLC fixes it, then another button quits working.
I think it is reinstall time. No other application in my windows build behaves this way. Must be a VLC software issue. I still love VLC. It's open source, works with most operating systems, and can play most media types.

Movie Madness: "Road House"

2009-03-16T21:54:00.005-04:00

"Road House" starring Patrick Swayze was on amc yesterday. 80's pleated pants alert.

Final Verdict: SLOPS to PSway and Road House

World of Goo

2009-03-15T00:16:00.002-04:00

"World of Goo" is awesome. WiiWare download.

---
Sent from my Peek

Back-To-Back

2009-03-13T14:27:00.002-04:00

2009 is awesome. Friday the 13th in February and March. Can't touch that.

Still enjoying my Peek

2009-03-11T14:33:00.002-04:00

1 week with the Peek simple e-mail/sms txt device. I'm hooked. This will def work until i can afford a blackberry bold, unless Peek drops a new device w/ more features for me to play with. For now, i still think it is the cheapest, easiest, and best way to stay connected w/ e-mail. Still got props...
---
Bobby Digital
Sent from my Peek

HP Blackbird. I really just want the case.

2009-03-11T01:58:00.001-04:00

Nintendo DSi Release Date and Pre-Order

2009-03-09T16:15:00.017-04:00

Nintendo Blog
Nintendo DSi WikipediaPage

Nintendi DSi is released in the U.S. April 5th 2009. You should reserve one.

Props to The Video Saloon

2009-03-08T20:50:00.003-04:00

For finding my girlfriends lost wallet. Ya'll are awesome.

---
Sent from my Peek

How do the whistles go again?

2009-03-08T19:30:00.002-04:00

Bubb Rubb is amazing. He needs to be in the next Grand Theft Auto.

Props to the Peek

2009-03-06T15:35:00.002-05:00

I have been digging working with my new toy. The peek e-mail/sms txt device allows me update my social networks status, e-mail, sms text, update my blog(like this one), sync my google contacts, and use various sms servers to get instant info and news.

VERDICT: PROPS to the PEEK

http://www.getpeek.com

Slops and Props

2009-03-05T22:22:00.001-05:00

Blogging from my Peek!

2009-03-05T20:39:00.003-05:00

My PEEK is now syncing my e-mail. I never received a reply e-mail from feedback@getpeek.com, that was discouraging. However, there phone support was helpful, they just took forever to get my device to sync. Never received a reply tweet from their twitter account either. AT LEAST IT WORKS.....FINALLY!!

The Glory of Paint.NET

2009-03-05T15:14:00.002-05:00

Get Paint.net

PAINT.NET WEBPAGE AND DOWNLOAD

There are plenty of open source photo editors, but i like this one.

2009-03-05T15:12:00.002-05:00

PEEK support update: They called me back today asking if my device was working. The SIM card is working, but the cell towers still cannot sync with the PEEK servers to setup my e-mail. They said it may be another 24 hours until it works, but to keep trying. BUMMER. I thought this was suppose to be simple?

PEEK e-mail device support

2009-03-04T09:34:00.002-05:00

Peek had me enter a "special" key combo that opens up a hidden menu for support. (#peek-m#)

He got my EID# and my number from under the battery. Says my SIM card is in suspend mode, and they can have T-Mobile take care of the issue. 24-48 hour solution time. I will keep you updated...

http://www.getpeek.com

PEEK Device WIKI page

My new Peek e-mail/txt device has arrived!

2009-03-04T01:27:00.002-05:00

Just got my Peek e-mail/sms txt only device in the mail. Simplistic is all i have to say here. Could not get the SIM card to sync. Bummer. Tech support opens at 9:00 a.m. Lucky Me