Things I'm Thinking About

Like most other people with ADHD, I've usually got five or six (or more) things juggling around in the front of my thinking. There's work stuff, geeky tech stuff, Kyani stuff, exercise stuff and lots more. I thought I'd share some of the cooler things that have passed my plate recently.

YouTube hack - found a video on YouTube that you love, love, love and you want to have a local copy on your computer or one that you can put on your iPhone or other portable device? There's a very cool way to do that. Replace the "Y" in YouTube with a "3" and you will be presented with an option to download the file in two different formats. It doesn't work perfectly all the time so be patient but it definitely does work and is very cool!

There was a cyclist killed on Monday morning in Los Gatos. His name was Joshua West, he was a single father of a seven year old girl. He was killed by an SUV that had drifted onto the sidewalk (note, he was on the sidewalk at an intersection, stopped) and annihilated him from behind. There were no skidmarks from the SUV indicating he didn't even see Joshua until after he had killed him. I spent a major portion of yesterday thinking about his daughter and the fact that her life has been completely ruined by a jackass named Kevin Derr who, according to eyewitnesses, was traveling at around 50 mph in a 30 mph zone when he killed Joshua. The link above includes information on how to donate to a memorial fund for his daughter. I am planning on donating to it and hope others will as well.

And, as I was writing the above, Jay posted more crappy news about another cyclist getting killed by an inattentive or distracted driver. And another kid who's lost his father needlessly because people can't seem to put down their damned phones while they are driving. Very sad!

On to lighter things, I've been geeking out on Logitech's very cool and fun to play with TouchMouse app and software. It allows you to control your Mac using your iPhone or iPod Touch. It is, for all intents and purposes, magic.

For some gorgeous and insane photographs of the 2010 Toughman Challenge, check out The Boston Globe's Big Picture series. Not only is the race crazy, the photographs from it are astounding.

I have truly started to doubt the competency of the San Francisco Giants leadership group. They fell all over themselves to pay Barry Zito a ridiculous sum to be a bottom half of the rotation pitcher and they are trying to lowball the best pitched in baseball, Tim Lincecum. Seriously? The guy's won the Cy Young in his first two years in the league and they don't want to pay him what he's worth? Stupid, stupid, stupid. I say they go back to him and add 10% to his last salary request. Do not piss off The Francise because he is the future of the club.

Plus, I need to talk with my doctor about possibly trying a differnt ADHD medication to see if something else might work a little better for me. Which presumes, of course, that I remember to take it every day which I've forgotten today and will take it right now.

And, oh yeah, our pending move, the upheaval, stress, painting and prepping and everything else that goes with relocating a family of four with a dog, cat and two fishtanks. When do we get to the easy part?

Happy Equilibrium Day

Because I'm a number geek, today makes me smile.

Its the fourth day of the fourth month in the eighth year of the century.

That's 4+4=8 and yes, I'm aware that I'm a total geek because I notice and think these sorts of things are cool.

My Trip to MacWorld

Okay, let's get the complaining out of the way.

For such a long running show, it was an unconscionable pain in the friggin' ass to get in. The registration areas in Moscone North were closed at 11:30 in morning and all registrations were being processed at Moscone West (a new to me building). The line went hundreds and hundreds of feet down the block and moved in fits and starts and ended in a ridiculous anarchy of lines converging on one undersized and overwhelmed badge printing counter.

It took me nearly an hour and a half from being dropped off to being able to actually go into the expo. That's about 75 minutes too long. Big thumbs down to IDG, the show management company with their logo on everything.

What I was told to bring was the wrong thing to bring, mine did not have an all important barcode. That's just stupid and sets a bad precedent for the rest of the day.

But things got better quickly after finally getting handed my badge.

I met up with Esther whom I haven't seen in a long time and it was good to see her again. We walked out and around Moscone to an Indian restaurant and had a little lunch.

My favorite thing at the show was definitely the MacBook Air. Seeing it in person was very cool, it is skinnier than an Olsen twin, and sexier. And alot less expensive. Toting that while traveling would be no problem whatsoever and the optional solid state drive would make battery life better while making the machine less susceptible to drops and other realities of computing while moving.

But there were lots of neat goodies to be had. Not alot of swag and I didn't win an iPhone or new laptop or drop cash on accessories but I got some good info, had a good time and got some interesting pictures.

I had fun, my wife and kids had fun at the Zeum nearby and we got some cool stuff at Ikea on the way home as well as a stop at In'n'Out Burger, which absolutely never fails to please. The Animal Fries are good but not recommended for consumption while driving. And the grilled onions on the cheeseburgers are truly fantastic.

MacWorld was a good time, it was a long, long day and I think I'm going to go have a slice of coconut cream pie (why yes, I did make it myself) and hit the sack. For tomorrow I return to my icy computer lab (perhaps I'll bring a space heater).