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Dude, where's my audiobook?

I love my iPhone, but I find I often hate iTunes, at least iTunes for Windows.

I started out today feeling very cranky towards iTunes. You see I've been listening to an audiobook during my drive to work. It happens that this book is Daemon, by Daniel Suarez, which is an amazing tech-thriller that I've been pretty hooked on for the past couple of weeks. So, as usual I was looking forward to the drive into work to find out what was going to happen next in Daemon. I got in my car, went to start up the audiobook only to find that the audiobook file on my iPhone was in fact completely missing. Panic...Cursed iTunes! Forget the fact that I also happened to forget my cup of coffee at home, this was going to make my next 30 minutes on the road...well, boring. Oh yeah, and the ride home in the afternoon was going to blow as well.

Moving on, I flipped to some new music I had and I made it through, thinking to myself, "How the heck does this happen?" I had synced my iPhone the night before, I usually do this every couple of days so I really didn't understand why this would have caused such a problem. I had other new music on there, new apps too. It's not like the sync didn't work at all.

In iTunes, I use the option where I only sync those items that I explicitly check. So, I knew I had the 2 audiobook files (part 1 and part 2) checked to sync to my iPhone; that's how I had been listening to them for the past 2 weeks. Besides, anything purchased from iTunes is automatically "checked" for syncing. It turns out, the the "Part 1" file was on my iPhone. I was simply missing the "Part 2" file which happened to be the part I was on. I had finished part 1 a couple of days before. I just couldn't figure it out; neither could anyone else I griped about it to. Maybe the Daemon had actually taken over my iPhone.

Well, as it turns out, I actually figured it out. As soon as I got home, I immediately opened iTunes on my PC and I looked to see if the audiobook file was indeed checked. It was. Hmmmm. It had to be something else. So, I checked my "sync" preferences for my iPhone: iPhone > Books (tab) > Sync Audiobooks. It turns out that iTunes had recently upgraded itself. By default, under the Sync Audiobooks setting, the "Selected Audiobooks" option was automatically selected, meaning that by default, only the audiobooks I had explicitly selected under this option (there is a list of all of my audiobooks there) would be synced. Daemon was not one of the audiobooks selected; in fact there were no audiobooks selected. However, under the "Include Audiobooks from Playlists" option the "Recently Played" playlist was checked, which explains why the Part 1 file was available: it was recently played, and the part 2 file was not, I was still in the middle of playing it. I'm guessing these Sync Audiobooks settings are new, or for some reason these settings were maliciously changed as a part of the upgrade....frustrating.

So, the mystery is solved. I still blame iTunes....it kinda seems like a bug and I'm betting I'm not the only one in the world that has experienced this. It's crazy how Apple puts so much perfection into the hardware and the device itself, but the supporting software is really stinky.

I have now properly checked my audiobook and I look forward to the ride into work tomorrow.

MOTOROKR T505 Bluetooth In-Car Speakerphone

I was recently asked about the Bluetooth speakerphone/FM transmitter I use in my car for my iPhone. This is what I have to say about it...

I got mine at Best Buy for about $100, maybe a little more. I really love the thing; I didn’t really use the iPhone as an iPod until I got this. Also, this is great for hands free talking...never been an issue and the battery charge seems to last a long time. Overall, I think this is a great product, but there are a few issues you should be aware of:

* You cannot tune it to broadcast over a particular FM station. It scans the FM frequencies and picks one it thinks is the best. You can set a “favorite” so it generally will pick it first if it is available.
* So for traveling through metro areas, you will be changing the station a few times for sure.
* Every once in a while, Bluetooth does not automatically connect. I have to turn off the iPhone’s bluetooth settings and then reconnect it, then all is well again.

What in DC?

Some photos of scenes from Washington DC. But where or what are they? Kind of a game:

What in DC?

Fair Signs and Scenes

Some photos from the Florida State Fair...

Fair Signs and Scenes

Wendy's Medium

What's up with Wendy's lately? I used love Wendy's. They often had better fast food than the others and were usually consistent with their quality and service.

However, it seems that maybe things have gone downhill for Wendy's since Dave Thomas died...

The other day I was in the drive-thru and I ordered one of their "value" meals or whatever they are called. I was promptly asked if I wanted "medium or large" meal option, as if these were the only choices. Not interested in a lot of food, I chose medium, even though the 2 options presented seemed a little suspicious. Since I had heard of places eliminating "small" options for things, I did not think too much of it, paid for the meal and all was well.

A couple of days later, I spoke to someone at work who had the same "medium or large" experience while inside a Wendy's. He had approached the manager about the deceptive practice and did not get so much as an apology for it. As it turns out, there is a small (regular) option even though it was never presented as such. It appears to be a corporate-wide deceptive practice to force unassuming Wendy's patrons to spend more on food they may not really need or want.

IMO, this is not the way to do good business nowadays. While Wendy's may see some sort of short-term profits/gains as a result of this and probably other less than ideal practices, I believe that in the long-run, this type of approach to their own customers will be their downfall. I know that I will think more than twice before going to a Wendy's again.

Boycott Wendy's. Be healthy. Eat and buy local.

-Harry

A letter to the Financial Speculators

Dear Thieves,

I have come to warn you as Jacob Marley's ghost came to warn Scrooge (loosely quoting Dickens): "You will wear the chain you forge in life. You make it link by link, and yard by yard... For it is truly required of everyone, that one's spirit should walk among his fellow men, and travel far and wide. If that spirit does not, it is doomed to wander the world and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared."

How do you feel now? Are you happy in your cold, big house? Are you beloved by all you have touched? Does your money comfort you in the loneliness of your thoughts? What if you lost all your money? What would you have then? Do you have friends who come through for you in the hard times?

You sure did have what Scrooge would admire as "a good head for business." You sold out yourself, your fellow brothers and sisters, our children, your country, and mankind, but you did do a lot of business. You took the easy way. You took the greedy way. It didn't feel right, but your values are "greed is good." As Dr. Seuss' character, the Once-ler, says, "If I didn't do it then someone else would." You justified your lies.

"Would you know," pursued the Ghost, "the weight and length of the strong coil you bear yourself? ...It is a ponderous chain!" Every time your ego clouded your judgment, every moment you were silent when you should have spoken, every dream you have shattered, is a link on your chain.

The hubris you wear as a shield now prevents you from knowing, "This means YOU." But someday, your chain will keep you awake. Someday, your chain will wear you down. Someday, your chain will chill you with its loneliness.

There is no way out. The only way is sacrificing short-term payoffs for long-term benefits: "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were all my business. The dealings were a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" Your business distracts you from your real business.

The rest of us wish you "a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. You'll be very merry and very happy, we have no doubt!"

Prop 8 - The Musical

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Cookie vs. The Lizard

Response from Obama Mama

A response to some typical anti-Obama rhetoric...

Obama supports the Born Alive bill state and Fed that does not encroach upon Roe v. Wade rights

Besides being mistaken in logic and facts, I find it bizarre that many call extremely successful people hateful names and labels. Maybe those could learn lessons from their successes instead.

First:
At the time of the first proposed Illinois state born alive bill, there was already an existing Illinois law that insured that life-saving treatment would be given to infants, but sponsors of the BAIPA said that the law did not go far enough. This is a ploy used by Illinois abortion opponents to implement their ultimate agenda of overturning Roe v. Wade.

Barack Obama supports the 2002 federal bill b/c it does not encroach upon Roe v. Wade.

In 2005, a Born Alive bill was signed into law by the Illinois Senate and this bill specifically provides that it does not affect any existing federal or state laws regarding abortion. That means that it does not encroach upon any of the rights granted under Roe v. Wade.

Obama supports this 2005 version of the Illinois Born Alive bill. The legal point is that the bill only passed after the Roe v. Wade exclusion was added.

Second:
You must not agree with thousands of economics experts. http://media.economist.com/media/pdf/Totals1.pdf
Overall rating of tax plans:

1 is very bad, 5 is very good

Rating	1	2	3	4	5
McCain	42	47	22	17	2
Obama	6	23	48	39	13

Third:
Iraq's problems need to be tended to by Iraq. They have an $80-billion surplus they are not tapping, yet the US spends $10-billion/month there. If you were a fiscal conservative, you would be outraged. Let's instead get bin Laden.

Last:
Please be aware of the value-laded terms published and promoted out of the Luntz Republican Playbook, which uses emotionally-laden doublespeak. When ever you hear terms like "Healthy Skies," "Born Alive," "Freedom," "Patriot Act," etc. you know for sure some part of the legislation enacts exactly the opposite of those terms or a clever diversion from the real intent.

In sum:
A vote for McCain is a vote for an erratic, dumb, rash decision-maker. It is a vote for the rich people getting richer and more corrupt while the poor and middle-class get poorer as a result of the weight. It is a vote for a continuation of the whole worlds' hatred of us. A vote for McCain is an invitation for more aggression/"nukes" against us. He is not smart enough to manage complex systems and sanctions. It is a vote for continued killing of our sons and daughters in wars because we think we know best what other countries must do.

A vote for McCain is a vote to increase the deficit. It is a vote against middle-class values, strength, and growth. It is a vote against new, innovative industries of energy and economic development. It is a vote to subsidize risk for fat cats. It is a vote for someone who doesn't think of Plan B. It is a vote for someone who doesn't rely on empirical data from scientific consensus to make decisions. We want a president who can actually understand that data and its implications.

Obama's plan gives the biggest cuts to those who make the least, while McCain would give the largest cuts to the very wealthy. For the approximately 147,000 families that make up the top 0.1 percent of the income scale, the difference between the two plans is stark. While McCain offers a $269,364 tax cut, Obama would raise their taxes, on average, by $701,885 - a difference of nearly $1 million.




Get the facts, please http://www.barackobama.com/issues/. Be suspicious of bizarre, value-laden, emotional terms and odd logic and character assassinations.

To those of you who wish to abstain from voting all together, I'm sorry, but our founders, country-folk, and enlightenment thinkers died and sacrificed for you to vote. For the commoners to not rise up and voice their right is shameful. This process, the actual exercise of inalienable freedom is, in fact, the beacon of light in the dark world that can never go out. Not after 1776 happened.

Joe

Whatever your fate is, whatever the hell happens, you say, “This is what I need.” It may look like a wreck, but go at it as though it were an opportunity, a challenge. If you bring love to that moment—not discouragement—you will find the strength there. Any disaster you can survive is an improvement in your character, your stature, and your life. What a privilege!! This is when the spontaneity of your own nature will have a chance to flow.

Then, when looking back at your life, you will see that the moments which seemed to be great failures, followed by wreckage, were the incidents that shaped the life you have now. You’ll see this is really true.Nothing can happen to you that is not positive. Even though it looks and feels at the moment like a negative crisis, it is not. The crisis throws you back, and when you are required to exhibit strength, it comes.

~ Joseph Campbell Quotes

This is the major contribution of Eastern philosophy to the West.

Matt Damon on Sarah Palin

Damon brings up some good points on Palin. Yes...absurdity, and scary.

"I want to know if she thinks dinosaurs were here four-thousand years ago...because she is going to have the nuclear codes."

LHC Rap

Amy showed me this the other day. Funny, educational, and... groovy.

LHC Homepage

Large Hadron Collider (Wikipedia)

Are you better off today than you were 8 years ago?

I'm looking forward to a president who understands that there are intelligent ways to solve problems, rather than simply making knee-jerk decisions that sound good. I'm looking forward to a president who will rebuild our reputation in the world -- not only do our enemies resent us, but our allies despise us. I'm looking forward to a president who relies on empirical research and the scientific consensus to make informed decisions. I'm looking forward to a president who recognizes that evolution underlies all of science and is not living in a backward world of superstition and creationism that was put to rest 150 years ago. I'm looking forward to a president who will do what works to invigorate the economy. I'm looking forward to a president who will invest in new technologies and science to drive our economy to make us competitive again in the world.

I look forward to a president who understands a balanced approach to free trade and its effects on our economy at home. I look forward to a president who can diffuse Russia. I look forward to a president who can strengthen youths' desire to become productive men -- at home and in the middle east. I look forward to a president who neither placates nor outwardly despises the people stifled by the entitlement cultures promoted by the government. I look forward to a president who understands that modern warfare requires much more covert than overt ops and involves much more economic pressures and forces than ever. I look forward to a president who turns responsibility over to the "owners" of the country relies on the support of the rule of law as the accepted governance of the country, rather than using the US military as the police. I look forward to a president who values high-quality education as the great equalizer. I look forward to a president who understands that the health insurance system has made us more unhealthy. I look forward to a president who understands the impact of environmental pollutants and that many children (the poor are over-represented) have far too many chemicals coursing through their growing bodies.

I look forward to a president who contributes to operating on America being seen as the great beacon of democracy, equality, and freedom around the world instead of the brutalizing bully for oil that it has become. I look forward to a president who looks for unchecked power as leading necessarily to complete corruption -- which is exactly why our economy is in the dire straights it is in now -- due to banks and investment firms marginally operating within weak laws. I look forward to a president who realizes that trickle-down means trickle-out and that the application of this theory has compromised the infrastructure for entrepreneurship which has stymied our country. I look forward to a president who is not in the pocket of entrenched lobbyists and actively changes the "a-law-for-the-cash" congress. Most of all, I look forward to a president who acts from a set of timeless principles with good judgment, rather than merely talking about "values" buzzwords and fundamentalist bible-beating and using fear to propel the emotions of the people.


Keith Olbermann Interviews Barack Obama:

Fur Berry Ninja

Lacking Integrity

Dear Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches,

We the People do not authorize you to use our money to bail out the banks as you will most certainly not bail us out of our home foreclosures and layoffs. You stood by the free market when the banks, speculators, and loan sharks inflated share prices without creating value and now the People ask you to stand by the free market while it self-corrects.

Instead you sign a blank check from our checkbook for more of the same.

Ironically, you have created quite a welfare state... A welfare state not of single mothers and their poor children, but a welfare state that rewards military contractors' spending and corporate financial speculation.

-"We the People"

Radiohead Nude Remix

A friend sent this to me today. It a remix of a Radiohead song created with old computer hardware...very cool. It's worth a listen if you have a moment. While you wait for the song to start (@ 01:10) read the story behind it. The remix is perfect for Radiohead.


Big Ideas (Don't get any) from 1030 on Vimeo.

More Nude remixes can be found here.

Bizarro

I love the Bizarro comic strip. I try to read it just about every day. I think it is the best daily comic since the Far Side. I saw this the other day and thought it was pretty good...

 

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

We had a chance to go see Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and TV host of NOVA scienceNOW on PBS, at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg, FL last week. Below is a video of Dr. Tyson answering a question about dark matter and the speed of light.

R.E.M. on N.P.R.

To those of you that appreciate R.E.M....

If you did not catch the R.E.M interview on NPR this morning, it's worth a listen if you have a minute. Steve Inskeep does a so-so job interviewing them, but of course they make it pretty interesting. I had no idea that Michael Stipe came from generations of Methodist ministers. The "Extra Interview Clips" are pretty good as well. The sound clips in the interview from the new record sound decent. They also have a full concert recording from SxSW that I haven't listened to yet.

-Harry