watching expired appliances align

computers are hard

i've spent much of my evening trying to get into this whole podcasting thing. and by getting into it, i mean learning how to set up regular downloads of podcasts and have them synch to my ipod. it's a little tougher than i thought it would be.

i don't use itunes. until yesterday, i'd always synched my ipod to the music on my computer through musicmatch jukebox (vers. 7.5). yesterday i download ephpod in order to remove some of the tracks from my completely full 15 gig ipod. that took a bit of time but wasn't too tough to figure out.

tonight i checked out wnyc's podcasting page and learned that i needed to download ipodder. a helpful piece of software. who knew that podcasting needed an additional piece of software? i guess i've heard that itunes is going to be podcast enabled soon. do people really go through all this? who are those people? did i make this whole thing way too complex for myself?

i think i've got things set up to some degree. i want to keep using musicmatch as my default music player, but it's got too many songs in it to start synching it to my ipod. i guess i'll have to start adding music through ephpod? right now i've got ephpod synching with podcast files only. i feel like there are so many little things i've got to figure out. argh!

why do i feel like i should've figured this stuff out a year ago?

still growing

My beard is so unnecessarily long that I can no longer trim the split ends. The beard is so unwieldy that I can’t get a good grip on it. I just tried to trim less than a centimeter off the end, and managed to snip about ¾ of an inch. Maintenance has become totally impossible. However, the plan to let it grow until August continues.

Tuesday night I was out and mentioned to Alex that I get uncomfortable if I’m at a bar, party, restaurant, etc. and I’m not the guy with the biggest beard. If I notice someone else with a large, full beard I feel like he and I are quietly sizing the other up. Did I start my beard before this chump? Why does that guy think he can have such an unruly beard? Are the other people at this party noticing that there are two guys here who haven’t touched a razor in at least 8 months?

A week ago I visited my family. My niece had a few toys around, but her tiny hands kept gripping the end of my beard and tugging at it. My Dad couldn't stop snapping photos.

I am not mean nor angry. This self-portrait was just taken during a very hot day at the Mermaid Parade. By the way, that new subway station at Coney Island is pretty cool looking.

(previous facial hair updates)

9 photos from the mermaid parade

i've posted some of my photos from the mermaid parade. (click associated photo of the mir-maids)

previous mermaid parade photos:
2003
2002
2000

three weeks of links

i've been busy. here are some fun, random links i've collected to my del.icio.us account during the past few weeks. and by random, i mean mostly about baseball.

Old ballgame has newfangled twist
this is awesome. baseball teams to have the 1st 2 innings of a july game played on x-box, then the real players take the field.

Jimmy Page's Sweater Vest: A little off the top
Andrew Beaujon's search for a cheaper razor blade

Conversational Reading: TAYARI JONES - 2005 AUTHOR
an author discusses the differences of being labeled a "southern" writer for one book and a "black" writer for another

Reason: Locker-Room Liberty: Athletes who helped shape our times and the economic freedom that enabled them
a review of books about joe namath, richie allen and oscar robertson
-but also a lot more

Balls Out | 2005-06-16 | dallasobserver.com
A great profile of Dock Ellis who pitched a no-hitter on acid in 1970. (Ellis had enough experience with LSD to know that it wouldn't be wearing off anytime soon; as a, uh, "precautionary measure," he took somewhere between four and eight amphetamines)

Gothamist: John Vanco, IFC Center
When I start going to movie theaters again, the IFC Center will be at the top of my list.

BRING IT, EFFIE
"Also, I saw Jesus at least 100 times. He wears tevas, by the way. " (Bunny McIntosh goes to Bonnaroo)

file : the collection
"lexington, mass" - my favorite photo of the week

Handwashings: 21 Years Ago in The New Yorker
the wash takes a look at an issue of THE NEW YORKER from 21 years ago

sunday afternoon grillfest at adam's.

i'm exhausted. got home a bit ago from adam's place. an afternoon of grilled burgers and double dates (bourbon and orange soda).

adam at the grill. he had bacon as a topping. fantastic.

the grilled mini-burger is a delight.

UPDATE (6/13/05) - A few more of the photos I took:

tiny burgers on the grill
adam dodges the smoke
a table full of toppings

gawker might be good reading this week

looks like will leitch is handling some of the chores at gawker this week.

i thought i loved ice cream

Last night before seeing Star Wars in Prospect Park, some friends and I dropped by the Maggie Moo's Ice Cream Treatery (a Great Franchise Opportunity!) in Park Slope.

I chose an item on the menu, rather than creating my own concoction of ice cream and mix-ins. Better Batter was the flavor of ice cream selected (just like Duncan Hines yellow cake, I swear) to be the base for mix-ins which included choc. chip cookie dough and twix bars. Going to Maggie Moo's and ordering an ice cream cone is like visiting City Sub. Anyone who has been to City Sub on Bergen Street in Brooklyn knows what it's like to watch artists prepare your meal. Everything at City Sub is done right in front of you with the care of someone preparing more than just a sandwich. The process is similar at Maggie Moo's, but with high school kids who don't seem to care quite as much. It's really strange to see someone putting five scoops of ice cream down on a table and filling it with verious ingredients, then mixing it up with special tools and dropping the whole thing in a waffle cone.

In summary, it was too much ice cream. I couldn't even finish my delicious evening snack. I'm not one known to pass on the opportunity to finish eating an ice cream treat. And I think I was still a little weirded out by watching someone do so much preparation with my ice cream. It sort of took the fun away from being a kid and making your own crazy ice cream sundae. Of course, I'm thinking I might walk over there around lunchtime today to try the grape bubblegum flavor.