Journaling on estrip is easy and free. sign up here

Zobar's Journal

zobar
My Podcast Link

04/07/2006 18:04 #37298

the tastiest thing in your ipod
Category: food
The annual restaurant guide is set to be published on April 27th. It looks like it's going to be a good one - we're listing over 100 local restaurants, and I'm putting together an expanded online component for year-round reference. But what happens if you're out and about, you got the hunger, and you're one of these people who doesn't carry a computer with them at all times?

You look it up on your iPod, duh. iPods have this great underutilized feature called Note Reader [devnotes ] that lets you put plain text and hyperlinked content on your iPod. I want to preview this in front of some 'normal people' before unleashing the beast, so if you're interested, try this out.

1. Download the menu guide from gather:0801401001144445585 and unzip it. [Note: this prerelease is incomplete. The final version will have more listings and will be searchable by neighborhood, cuisine, and price range.]

2. Connect your iPod to your computer. If it does not show up on your desktop:
- in iTunes, select iPod in the Source list and click the Options button.
- Click General and select "Enable disk use."

3. Copy the "Menus" folder from your desktop into the "Notes" folder on your iPod.

4. Eject the iPod from your desktop and disconnect it. That's it! The restaurant guide is now available on your iPod by selecting Extras -> Notes -> Menus.

Please let me know your opinions on this - is it good? bad? dumb? too hard to use? needs more features?

- Z
museumchick - 04/08/06 01:00
I thought the restaurant guide was fantastic. What a great resource!
twisted - 04/08/06 00:14
p.s. - that's "creme brulee" but with a bunch of accents. They look very impressive on my iPod.
twisted - 04/08/06 00:12
OMG, that is so cool! Now I want to try Tsunami's Crème brulée “tasting” featuring servings of four variations: chocolate, passion fruit, Kona coffee and classic vanilla so bad!!! They offer take-out, but no delivery! Especially not to California.

I keep my shopping list synched to my iPod. (The ingredients for your Pumpkin Ginger Soup are there right now, in fact.) This would be a great resource to carry with me as well. When does the SF edition come out? ;-)
jenks - 04/07/06 23:28
umm, probably a stupid question, but where did gather go? Things are acting all funky in safari today... Paul suggesting clearing the cache, which helped some stuff, but not the rest. (the he suggested a new computer, which may be a bit extreme.) I just assumed some upgrades are going on... But point is- I can't find this to download to demo it for you. (and i'm ashamed to admit it, but I have more than 1 ipod, and can demo it on different screens for you.)
uncutsaniflush - 04/07/06 20:53
paul, zobar, you guys should do whatever you want with the technology around.

As to the "not natural" thing, to quote the love and rockets song:

"You cannot go against nature
Because when you do
Go against nature
It's part of nature too"

So ha.

An aside: I'm starting to think that desktop linux users like me are the vegetarians of the computer world.
zobar - 04/07/06 19:36
Saniflush: Jesus Creeping God, that's not natural. I don't even have a TV but I've still got a beat up old 10G.

Paul: Should work on any iPod with a screen. Am v. interested to know how well it translates to a Mini/Nano.

- Z
paul - 04/07/06 19:29
I also don;t have an ipod but that isnt goign to stop me from making the journals available in ipod format. I will make (e:mike) install the menus and test it on his nano. Will it work on there too?
uncutsaniflush - 04/07/06 19:25
You forgot the first and most important step:

1. Obtain an iPod.

Yes. Believe it or not, there people in this or any other universe who don't have iPods. Well, there are at least 2.
jenks - 04/07/06 18:09
haven't tried it yet, but I love it... great idea!

04/05/2006 22:05 #37297

sociable technologies
Category: potpourri
Three things:

1. Neat event at the UB Art Gallery entitled 'NET<3: Sociable Technologies.' Some geeky computers-facilitating-human-interaction stuff, some digital art, some miscellany. I'm in; anyone else?

2. Pumpkin Ginger Soup, a la Cafe 59 [this is purported to be their actual recipe]:
Combine in saucepan:
28oz canned veggie broth
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1/4tsp crushed red pepper (start with less to taste)
8Tbsp white sugar
1Tbsp cider vinegar
1Tbsp kosher salt
Cover & bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 5min. Remove cloves, then add:
14oz unsweetened coconut milk
29oz solid pack pumpkin
1Tbsp + 1tsp fresh ginger, grated
Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat & simmer again 5min.

3. Current Music: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Greyhound

- Z
jenks - 04/06/06 07:39
wow that soup sounds awesome. Solid grounds had a pumpkin ginger soup a while ago that I'm told was great, too.
paul - 04/05/06 23:38
I probably should have been involved in that seeing as I am a grad student in their media studies program. I am just so removed from amherst these days. It feels as far away as europe.

04/05/2006 07:45 #37296

rebuttal
Category: gardens
(e:dragonlady7,7) 's voluminous post regarding our garden is kind of offputting. Gardening is a whole lot of work, but there's really only one thing you need to remember: Green side up and mind the packet. The plants can sort the rest out for themselves.

- Z

04/04/2006 14:52 #37295

poll
Category: poll
Question: do normal people use the wireless web?

- Z
dragonlady7 - 04/04/06 20:28
An important consideration when polling is to establish your control group. You're unlikely to get balanced responses from a preselected audience like this one.

You might be better off posting a poll on your website, dude. Like, for your readers. Because users of the paper's website are much more likely to give you a constructive answer.

Make voting in the poll a way to enter a drawing for some free shit and you'll get plenty of votes. Although, again, they'll be preselected. But they will be your target audience.
mrdt - 04/04/06 17:01
I dont think so cause when i was in florida I took my laptop to the pool to test the wifi. when i pulled it out I got so many condisending looks and was a little embarrassed. what ever... if you have wifi by the pool might as well enjoy it...its better than sitting inside
theecarey - 04/04/06 16:15
define normal ;)
jenks - 04/04/06 16:03
wireless web like on a cell phone? Well I don't, but that's just b/c I don't feel like paying for it. I'm sure if I tried it, I'd get hooked. But I guess me being 'normal' is arguable. (but admittedly everyone you're going to find on here has to be geeky to at least some extent...)
robin - 04/04/06 15:26
i live on normal, and use wireless
zobar - 04/04/06 15:08
Well ... that is true, but you _know_ normal people.

- Z
paul - 04/04/06 15:03
I can't answer his because I am not normal.

04/03/2006 12:41 #37294

some people just don't understand art
Category: silliness
We had a brilliant idea for the cover of our annual popularity contest that everyone loved, excepting the publisher. Since it looks like it's not going to fly I feel justified in posting it here:

image

We never get to do anything fun.

- Z
dcoffee - 04/03/06 19:43
hahahaha, that is freaking awesome.