I know I've praised Panic software here before. They do fabulous Mac software, their FTP client (Transmit) is the Best (way better than Fetch, IMHO). And Audion is a wonderful MP3 player.
Here's a spiff review I found of Audion and N2MP3 (an MP3 encoder). I bought both of these a few months back and like 'em a lot, this review puts it all into words better than I could. So if you use a Mac and are in the market for MP3 software, check it out.
posted at 10:06 AM Central Time
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Thursday, June 29, 2000
Ugh. Feeling stupid today after doing something boneheaded. Mostly just a sign that I'm distracted by all the things I've gotta do before going on vacation. Plus I've been fighting fires at work. But it's amazing how down I can get over stuff like this. Sigh. To think I was just telling someone last night that I was feeling better these days . . .
I should be running errands right now, I suppose. But I've been running errands most nights this week. Still need to buy sunscreen, batteries, bug repellant, a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, cat litter, and other misc stuff I'm forgetting just now. Plus I've gotta get new license plate tabs for my van. And get a new driver's license. Still am not sure who I'm riding with back from Winnipeg (yikes). Still scrambling to get things done at work before I leave on vacation.
And I've no plans yet for my birthday. Not that I ever generally do much for my birthday, but I always somehow feel that I should. Okay, I know I'll be driving (well, riding with someone) from Minneapolis to Winnipeg on my actual birthday-- I'll try to consider the view of North Dakota as some kindof present. Um. Yeah! But I suppose I'm already thinking about the passage of time, what I've accomplished, what I haven't accomplished, all that rot. And I'm wondering how this year (4th, birthday, winnipeg) can come close to the strangeness and fun of last year.
posted at 8:32 PM Central Time
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Will Shetterly has put some stuff on eBay as fundraisers to help pay for production of the new Flash Girls album. It's Very Cool Stuff I'm posting info here at the risk of ruining my chances at getting any of 'em for my own bad self. More important to raise money for the album, yeah, that's it . . .
The Whitethorn Wood and Other Magicks by Jane Yolen. Forward by John Crowley, afterward by Charles de Lint. Limited edition of 250 copies. I covet this.
Two Tales for the New Year by Will Shetterly and Emma Bull. Limited edition (of 50 copies!), signed.
Signed, bound galley of War for the Oaks by Emma Bull. Heck, unsigned paperback copies of this are highly sought items. This is too cool.
Signed first edition of Emma Bull's War for the Oaks.
This info was posted first to signal-to-noise, the Flash Girls mailing list.
posted at 4:23 PM Central Time
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When I griped about Netscape crashing for me on my Mac, I didn't expect people to write with suggestions. But of course two people did! Cool. I've upped the memory for Netscape and that seems to have helped (so far-- cross fingers, knock wood, etc).
I do use iCab sometimes. And I've tried IE, of course, but I still haven't gotten used to it. But if my Netscape problems persist, I may try to get used to IE.
For what it's worth: at work I use a G3 with 384MB of RAM. I installed OS 9 on it a while back. 8.5 gig harddrive. External 100mb Zip drive. Got a 2 gig external HD full of mp3s. I actually have one of the older systems (that's in service) at work, since a shop-wide upgrade. But I guess it's made up for by my being one of the only people here with a flat panel LCD monitor (one of the older dark blue ones from a year or more ago). Love the monitor, much to my surprise.
I also have an old Power Mac (7300/200) with a big old style 20 inch Apple monitor sitting on it, that sits to my right-- I basically just use that system for monitoring logfiles for four different scripts relating to the archive process here.
Anyone know of a good USB ergo/natural keyboard?
I'm now on my fifth keyboard (like this one) since April or May! One of 'em only lasted a day or two before going haywire. When they work, they're lovely. Since using it, the pain I was having in my shoulder/arm vanished completely. I use an ergo keyboard at home on my PC, have for years. And I guess I did at my last two jobs, too.
posted at 10:22 AM Central Time
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Wednesday, June 28, 2000
If I weren't going to be at the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 6-9, I'd surely be at Convergence, a new science fiction convention.
The con was pretty spiff last year, pretty amazing for a first year con. This year
they're at the St. Paul Radisson (which will be different). Guests include Neil Gaiman, Ruth Thompson, Peg Kerr, and others. Will Shetterly and Emma Bull will be there! (As far as I know, their first trip back to Minnesota since they moved to L.A. a few years ago). Emma will reunite with the Fabulous Lorraine for a Flash Girls reunion show at the con! Whee! If only I could be there. But I'd committed to Winnipeg and I'm sure I'll have fun up there.
But if you can be in Minnesota on July 7-9, I recommend checking out this con. Saying "hi" to the folks I've mentioned. Seeing the Flash Girls show. Seeing Lojo Russo and Lorraine Garland as Mogg (what will Emma think?). Stopping
by the Minn-stf/Minneapolis in '73 party. I'll be there in spirit.
posted at 4:36 PM Central Time
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When I was a kid, I wasn't much into candy or desserts, believe it or not. When birthdays rolled around, I wasn't terribly interested in cake, either, usually. But I did love ice cream, my Mom claims I get that from her Mom, who also loves ice cream. As if that kindof thing is hereditary. Well, one never knows. Perhaps they found the ice cream gene in the ol' genome.
But I've not indulged much in ice cream in a while. Sure, I've had the occasional pint here or there. Though most of the time when I've bought something frozen, it's been frozen yogurt or low-fat ice cream or usually sorbet. Love sorbet.
But pints of Dreamery ice
cream were on sale at Byerlys the other day, during my first visit to stock up my fridge/freezer since the Great Kitchen Spring Cleaning. And, well. I got a pint of Creme Caramel and it was divine. And since pints were 2 for $4, I got another pint of a different flavor that will require further investigation. Summer in Minnesota. A good book. Ice cream. Pretty darn good, you betcha.
posted at 12:22 AM Central Time
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I'm up a little late reading High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. Guess I'm a bit behind the times (Did I mention
that I hadn't been reading much fiction for a while there?). Anyway. I enjoyed the movie, had been curious
about the book for a while, so I'm finally reading it.
Loving it. Recommended.
Here's a bit I like:
So maybe what I said before, about how listening to too many records messes your life up . . . maybe there's something in it after all. [. . .]
It seems to me that if you place music (and books, probably, and films, and plays, and anything that makes you feel) at the center of your being, then you can't afford to sort out your love life, start to think of it as the finished product. You've got to pick at it, keep it alive and in turmoil, you've got to pick at it and unravel it until it all comes apart and you're compelled to start all over again. Maybe we all live life at too high a pitch, those of us who absorb emotional things all day, and as a consequence we can never feel merely content: we have to be unhappy, or ecstatically, head-over-heels happy, and those states are difficult to achieve within a stable, solid relationship. Maybe Al Green is directly responsible for more than I ever realized.
posted at 12:04 AM Central Time
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Monday, June 26, 2000
