As if I didn’t have enough blogs (four, at last count) I post to, I began experimenting with Tumblr a few months back. It started out as a way to entice someone into posting more often. Then it became research on how to integrate that sudden flurry of activity into something importable into her normal blog (which, I hear, is being re-designed). Then it became something to investigate extending for a loved one to start using as she wanted to document an important time in her life.

I got to really appreciate it’s elegance and simplicity, even if I didn’t have a need for it. Well, “need” is rarely a qualification for something I start using, at least when it comes to technology.

Further experiments showed that Tumblr really excelled at video, mobloging, and with it’s stark modern aesthetic, it makes an excellent frame for photos.

So if you want to see some photos I take from my phone, videos I make or just generally entertaining rubbish, have a look at briandigital.tumblr.com

There are many pieces of entertainment that can be construed as guilty pleasures. MacGyver was a popular tv show in the late eighties and the latter seasons have not aged well. This has caused some pop culture negativity. When you say MacGyver in public you can receive two basic responses. Some point out his pseudo mullet and laugh. Others get silly grins and reference Swiss Army Knives and Duct Tape.

Starting on my birthday I began acquiring the full season DVDs. And as I work my way through season 6 I can stand proud and exclaim the awesomeness of MacGyver. There is no guilt.

Gizmodo recently mentioned that the show’s creator, Lee David Zlotoff, is interested in crating a big budget movie of the property. Hopefully if this is greenlit it will do the classic justice. Yeah, I just called this show a classic.

Also…

• ‘MacGyver’ Coming to Theaters, and Not as an Intentional Comedy?

• Quote: Would a Modern Day MacGyver Still Use a Swiss Army Knife?

Have 5 minutes to spare? Start watching this:

David Heinemeier Hansson at Startup School 2008

Oh, the video is 30 minutes long, but you’ll have lost track of time and not realize that you didn’t mean to watch the video for that long.

What is it about telling people looking to make a quick buck to get their heads out of their asses, that is so enjoyable to watch?

The story never gets old for me: forget taking other people’s money, and other people’s expectations and their definitions of success. Find something you’re passionate about, something you enjoy doing. Balance it with a life. Solve problems, charge a reasonable fee, and keep it simple. If you’re living comfortably, that’s success. You don’t need to be the next big thing, or be totally original. You just have to do one thing better than other people, and find people that’s valuable to. Treat them well, and you’ll succeed.

People forget the “Internet industry” isn’t a moneybin. It’s a place to conduct business. Businesses have been around a very long time, and almost none of the successful ones have ever taken the rocket trajectory to success. They score small wins, reinvest the profit and grow within their means.

Like in almost anything, becoming a star by working hard, not by trying to be a star, is the best path to follow.

Here come the mosquitoes.

My parents’ property includes a big chunk of wetlands. There is also a small wooded area across the yard. These woods were once home to many bats. As it grew dark in the summer you could watch them journey across the yard for a dinner of bugs. At least until a few years ago when our neighbor unnecessarily cut down a large section of trees and the bats disappeared. We miss them and their taste for mosquitoes.

Now bats in New England (more recently including Connecticut) are being threatened by a new ailment, “white nose syndrome.” Not a lot is known about the fungus but scientists are investigating.

Bats with this white–nose syndrome have the white fungus on their noses and occasionally other parts of their bodies. It is unknown if the fungus is causing the deaths or is symptomatic of a disease. Human health implications are not known; there is no information indicating that people have been affected after exposure to the white fungus.

Lets hope they find a way to stop this before it becomes more widespread. Even if they creep you out, like spiders, bats are very beneficial to us.

• Originally found at Boing Boing
• White-Nose Syndrome In the Northeast Region
• White-Nose Syndrome

• Connecticut finds bats infected with white-nose fungus

The art style referred to as steampunk has picked up momentum via the Internet. Merlin Mann even poked fun at the subculture recently with his steampunk penis pump video. Regardless how you feel about the movement it’s difficult to argue the end product cannot be beautiful. Go take a look at Sillof’s Workshop and the action figures he’s created. Including these reimaginings of Star Wars characters.

Purdy.

Via Gizmodo.

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Flickr has added video clips. This is great and long awaited. However some Flickr die-hards think that video on Flickr is somehow blasphemy.

My message to them is:

Get a grip. If you need something to protest, go find that Olympic Torch. People are actually being oppressed in Tibet. You are not being oppressed by Flickr.

End transmission.

I’ve done a lot of live audio and video broadcasts on the web. I produce our virtual seminars (some people call them “webinars”) at work, and I’ve done a good deal of audio/video chats through both iChat AV and Skype. Here’s some tips and voodoo I’ve learned from that experience that should help the quality of your live, online audio and video.

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A couple months ago I took a trip to Ohio and used Skybus. Sure the farther away airport only provided poorly stocked vending machines and single user bathrooms, one for each gender. But the plane was nice and roomy. Much more appealing than the tiny planes that don’t allow for standing up straight. And who can complain when it cost $86 round trip?

Now they’ve gone under. Whoops, guess I should have said something earlier.

Skybus struggled to overcome the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment. These two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier.

• Grounded
• Skybus becomes third airline this week to close

• Skybus files for bankruptcy after airline shuts down

I’ve made an account at Photoshop Express and have been playing with Adobe’s online photo editor. It’s pretty cool. However, is it just me, or does it muck up your photos? The first image is from Adobe, the second is the same photo I posted on Flickr. Why does one look better than the other? Neither have any editing applied!

Thu Apr 3 2008

Click through for larger images.

Let me know what you think!

(PS- the photo is through a window, so it’s not stellar to begin with, but it seems to have been really uglified through Px!

When I was growing up and couldn’t afford “instant video cassettes” there was always the VCR and movies on HBO. It enabled my brother and I to watch Spaceballs every day for months. For years there was the familiar orchestrated intro panning over a city.

The following video is a behind the scenes look into how the intro was created. Enjoy the terrible 80’s music contrasting the original orchestra.

Originally discovered at goldenfiddle.

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