Biz Stone '03 !!!

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What's Up with Blogger? Ev explains: "Blogger.com and Blogspot.com are not addressable for lots of people because of a DNS snafu. (DNS are the computers that tell your computer what number to go to when you put in a name.) The fix has been pushed, but it could take a while to refresh everywhere. Meanwhile, if you're geeky, you can change your host file to get to Blogger (point new.blogger.com to 66.102.15.100)."

Joho the Blog: Blogging makes you fat: "I went to the gym today for the first time in over 18 months. I used to go before my kids got up, but now I blog instead. As a direct result, I've put on decades of blogfat, giving a new meaning to 'blogroll.'"

Animal Planet :: Future Is Wild This show is on right now and it's cool. No humans. Nice.

Being Jennifer Garrett: "Cry every day during the holidays. Weep openly in front of your family. Maybe it will get you sympathy or, at the very least, more presents. Don't be forced to break down alone in your car while Coldplay is on. Learn from my mistakes."

New York City - B'klyn Cop Investigated: "A Brooklyn cop is being investigated for Internet postings in which he brags about beating suspects, writing phony tickets and ignoring calls to his precinct.

The officer, identified by Internal Affairs investigators as a patrol cop who works in the 75th Precinct, uses the pseudonym 'brooklynbacon' and posts his messages on a site accessible through Xanga.com."

I just set up a quick and dirty Cell Phone Blog for two reasons. 1.) To sort of research cell phones because I'll need a new one eventually. 2.) To see if a brand new, half-ass blog with ads in it can make coffee money. It ain't no PVRblog.

Sinks that are supposed to come on automatically do not. Futuristic toilets don't operate correctly because the infra-red control panel is blocked. Supermarket doorways now require that I first ascertain whether or not they are robotic before I attempt to enter or exit. I predict an amazingly futuristic world where knobs and handles are considered advanced UI and consulting firms are paid big bucks to "detechnologicify" everyday things. Who's with me?

blogosphere.us: "If you believe the movement is towards personal media control by individuals, then I think it's pretty clear that TiVo and [FEEDS] are related."

The whispering wheel: "By just putting a tire on it you can drive a bus, a car, anything with it. Since the wheel is in fact the engine, no axles or any other friction-producing and therefore energy-wasting mechanical parts are needed." Nice. I gotta get me one of these and then drive up to a toll booth on the Mass Pike. One dollar per axel? No axel, suckas! Free ride!

Note to self: You work for Blogger now. The front page is one of your blogs. Stop checking it for news; you are reading your own posts.

Is it bad if the employees of Starbucks have a hard time wrapping their brains around the amount of refills you are consuming? I may be doing irreparable harm to my insides but my brain is on fire. I'm getting crazy amounts of work done on my book. Elizabeth, if you're reading this: I'm getting there!

Do you cry when you read the Onion? Win: The Onion Platinum Prestige Encore Gold Premium Collector's Collection. And I'll win it too, from Blogstakes. Nice.

Gizmodo : Compare prices with your cameraphone: "Both NeoMedia's PaperClick and ScanBuy's ScanZoom, for example, let you walk into a bookstore, snap a picture of any book's barcode, and then get pricing information on how much Amazon and/or others are selling the book for." This is so cool. Cell phones are getting closer and closer to tricorders.

The Medieval Bestseller: "Biz Stone, the person who writes the Creative Tutorials for Blogger, is really funny. I always enjoy reading his/her tutorials." Biz Stone: Androgynous.

At the Science Toys web site you can learn how to "Make toys at home with common household materials, often in only a few minutes, that demonstrate fascinating scientific principles." You can actually make stuff like a simple radio or a laser communicator. Am I in an episode of Star Trek? Anyway, the site is run by my friend Simon who joined Google the same day as I did. I wish I had known Simon when I was 8 and trying to build my own scuba gear out of two empty Pepsi bottles and a hose.

Feedster » Feed of The Day » Biz Stone, Genius. Cool! Happy Festivus to me.

Real Live Preacher has a blog-to-book deal too. Damn, I missed this one. I should try and remember to modify this next week.

A cheap mini iPod would be perfect for me. I don't need much capacity and I use it for running so the smaller the better. Plus, $99 per iPod and $.99 per song -- it's just so neat and tidy. Sign me up!

I wrote How To Give The Last-Minute Gift of Blog and published it today at Blogger. Traditionally, blogging activity dips during the holidays but hopefully there's still a few bloggers out there who need a bloggy last-minute gift idea. (Yes, those are my hands.)

There was an earthquake today. My second earthquake and I didn't feel this one either. The first one was in LA and I was out running. Today, I was in an elevator with Shellen. We missed it.

Jeremy Botter (in Iraq): "I've long hoped for a chance to turn my collection of photographs and personal journal on my time here into a book deal." See: How To Get A Book Deal With Your Blog.

The Jewelboxing System is a new product that provides unheard-of quality do-it-yourself DVD cases complete with design templates and perforated paper. It's a whole deal. "All the elements of professional-looking CD and DVD packaging sent to your door in a box."

WIL WHEATON dot NET: "I enjoy reading Biz's articles, because they're funny and informative, like School House Rock without the singing." High praise indeed, but it leaves me wondering: Conjunction Junction, what is your function?

Here's a wish list wish: I want to put Amazon Gift Certificates in my wish list. See, I don't want any one person to buy me the $300 digital camera that's in there, but if friends and family each got me $10, $25, and $50 gift certificates at Amazon, I'd apply the aggregate to my big ticket item. So yeah, gift certificates in the wish list. Nice.

This snowflake maker by Lookandfeel new media is really cool. I love that people make this stuff and it's free on the Web.

Scientific American: 'Six Degrees of Immunization' Strategy Proposed : "The researchers instead propose a tactic known as acquaintance immunization. In it, a percentage of the population is selected at random and asked to identify a friend. Those friends, in turn, are vaccinated. According to the team's calculations, because super-spreaders know so many people, there is a high probability that they will be named at least once. As a result, immunization of a much smaller fraction of the population can successfully halt disease transmission."

I just wrote another creative tutorial: How To Get A Book Deal With Your Blog. Nice.

Tonight I met Joi Ito and Cory Doctorow. Good stuff and I'm looking forward to reading Cory's book, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom.

Pretty blogs.

LoTR Computerized Soldiers Went AWOL - This article explains how each of the 200,000 computer generated soldiers in the Lord of the Rings movies were programmed to assess their environment and determine what military actions to take. What did they decide? Run. Get the hell out. "For the first two years, the biggest problem we had was soldiers fleeing the field of battle."

MonitorTan: "The musings of Hiawatha Bray, technology reporter for the Boston Globe"

Digital revolution leaves Google feeling quite flush: "The noted Internet search engine has recently installed digital toilets at its Mountain View offices, co-founder Larry Page disclosed to a gathering of the Churchill Club networking group in San Francisco this month." It's all true.

Iraq will Bush Christmas. So says rising keywords 6-9 at Blogosphere.us. We shall see.

West Elm - Page 49. Shopping by Google-Catalog is good stuff. I need a bed.

being jennifer garrett: "And what does a baby Christmas tree need? Yes, that's right, baby Christmas tree ornaments. And baby garland. And baby lights. And baby candy canes. And a little tiny baby star to put on top." I'm this close (insert gesticulation) to getting a baby tree because of Jen Garrett.

So far, working at Google is pretty damn cool. The other day after lunch who was in the lobby? Bill Clinton. Actual former US presidente roaming the hallways at work. Nice. I gotta get me a digital camera.

Track Packages with Google: "For example, typing 'fedex' followed by a space and a FedEx tracking number will return the latest information on your package."

[ Virginia Is For Lovers ] is proving what Carlos Ramos told me in one of our discussions earlier this year: "Blogging is sexy." Carlos is Spanish. He knows about such things.

There's a blog meetup next week in San Francisco. Nice. I'm going even if I'm the only one. Whatevah.

Note to self: stay away from the Google stash of dark chocolate covered coffee beans. Or at least don't eat a whole cup. In other news, I was just a guest on Virginia's radio show. Good clean fun. Now I have to go eat a taco.

When the cable guy learned that we did not have a key to the building's electrical closet he didn't cancel the appointment and go home early. No. He used a butter knife to jimmy the lock. Cable installed! We would have had to put it off another week but this guy was a problem solver. Nice.

Clinton Googles Self: "Citing curiosity as his primary motive, Bill Clinton typed his own name into the popular search engine Google.com during a lull in his daily activities, the former president reported Monday."

It's raining tonight. I dug out my TiVo and I'm watching an old DS9 I recorded while living in Manhattan and working at Xanga. Yes, now I have a bean bag and I've lucked into a TV. Oh, and I'm blogging on my Google issue PowerBook. Blogging is part of my job. Push-button publishing. Nice.

LEM/Mac Musings | Claris Home Page 3.0: Still Irreplaceable?: "Claris Home Page was one of the finest applications ever made for the Mac. Version 3.0 has been around since 1998, and a lot of us have yet to find a better program for writing and publishing on the Web." I agree.

Prefabulous for $30K. (via Noah)

Motorist Registers During Traffic Stop: "When [Officer] Zier came back with the ticket, Leach told him the car was now registered. The computer inside Zier's patrol car confirmed it." (via vedana)

The Eagle has landed: We now have a washer and dryer installed. My two pairs of pants, black sweater, and array of t-shirts will be as clean as the day is long.

How eurekster works: "What's Hot in Your Network. Eurekster uses the six-degrees of separation concept to learn from your extended network of contacts and deliver you prioritised results based on the success and proximity of the searches they have done."

Wizbang Gate

Shellen moblogged the recent posts scroller that Ev and Goldman whipped up. I love this thing. Just so you know, if you are blogging tomorrow during office hours, chances are your post is being projected on my office wall and I am reading it instead of working. Thanks.

Bush got Googlebombed. In other political news, I'm heading out to party with Matt Gonzalez right now. Nice.

The Google holiday party is tonight. It's supposed to be semi-formal but the best I can do is my black sweater. The one I wear three days a week. It makes me look official. Right? Nice.

Bloggers for Matt Gonzalez for Mayor of San Francisco.

Bryce Point in Bryce Canyon: "...the highest resolution, most detailed stitched digital images ever created." This would be great as one of a series of gigapixel images in slideshow before an IMAX movie.

Bookishness is a new blog about books, reading, and writing. Sort of. There's also something in there about a bastard toaster and an ode to email SPAM.

Wil Wheaton feels alive: "While I was digging a hole in my yard..." Wil got a three book deal and he gets to dig holes in his yard. I love digging holes. Also, this gives me an idea for a Creative Tutorial.

I like Noe Valley: "A Festive kick-off for the new Noe Valley Farmer's Market will be held from 8am-12pm Saturday, December 6th in the new parking lot on 24th Street between Sanchez and Vicksburg. Purchase healthy, organic food. Support small, local farmers. Build a community based economy. Get to know your neighbors. "

November 1999: Xanga, Google, and Blogger. Weird.

Blueberry Fields Forever My little sister is 18 and this is her new blog about living in Maine. Good stuff.

Just so I have a record of them, I'm posting links to audio blogs I have done elsewhere. Audioblogging example for Blogger.com, last night when Noah handed me the phone just before Cake came on, and my first ever experimental audio blog post. Plus there's my audio posts from my cross country drive during the first week of November 2003.

Him: My face is a star, I can deal. Her: OMG

My blog as a screenplay: "WINONA RYDER and BIZSTONE.COM are driving along in WINONA RYDER's car." It is absurdly similar to my actual life in terms of dialog. (Discovered at Being Jennifer Garrett.)

Heroes of Freedom: "Evan Williams. With a little luck and a lot of technology, Williams did as much as anyone in history to provide the once-scarce freedom of the press to millions of individuals, through his co-founding of Pyra Labs, which introduced easy-to-use Blogger technology and free-as-air Blogspot hosting to the masses."

Tripping through blogs of the stars: "Many celebrities have Web sites, and some have flackery masquerading as Web logs. But a strangely eclectic group has moved to the forefront of belles-lettres digital-style, better known as the blogosphere. Here, sans publicists or editors, they are free to make fools of themselves, exercise their intellect, shamelessly promote their products or merely confirm everything you suspected." (LA Times. Registration required.)