On Instructional Videos

There seems to be a trend these days in instructions on the web: videos.

Videos? Really? Ugh!

I don't know about you, but usually when I look for instructions on how to do something I either just need to find out what tools or utilities I need to use to do it, or to refer to the instructions as I go through the task. Videos are good for neither; you can't effectively skim a video for the important parts, or go through it at your own pace as your task progresses.

Seriously, people, I really don't have the time, and in any case don't want, to slog through your introductions or sit through your "um"s and "uh"s just to find out what to use to get my blog fed to a facebook page. Save the videos for tasks, or parts of tasks, where that kind of demonstration of technique or effect is useful. And add good old text and graphics to your toolbox along with that video hammer; it ain't all nails out there.

Seth Godin's Got It Wrong About Secret Ballots

I subscribe to the RSS feed of Seth Godin's blog. He's a bright guy, but he doesn't always get things right.

He says in his blog entry (When technology and tradition diverge) today:

"When the secret ballot was introduced, it just wasn't possible to count the votes in less than a few days. So a tradition was established, driven by the technology, not because it was the best way. Now, of course, the technology doesn't need that tradition any longer, but it's still here."

He's totally wrong about the purpose of secret ballots.

The purpose of secret ballots is to ensure that voters can vote their conscience without fear of repercussions from those who would coerce them to vote one way or another. It has nothing to do with any inability to have a running count. (Godin may simply be confused about what "secret ballot" means.) Even small groups who could easily have a running total using nothing more than their fingers use secret ballots too when they feel the need. Other groups specifically avoid secret ballots, particularly when those who are voting are representing groups of constituents and need to be held accountable for their votes.

Last Night's Dream

I had an unusually extended dream last night. It started with my wife and I driving home. On our way along the main road we take an airliner swooped down overhead and landed ahead of us on the road, but I guess it hit too big of a bump because one wing broke and fell down, sparking an explosion of the fuel that was in it. I recognized the plane as belonging to Willie Nelson, and was distraught at the prospect of the world losing his music. I called 911 and told them that Willie Nelson's plane had gone down near us and asked them to send help quickly to save the music. After that I grabbed a laptop out the back seat and sat by the side of the road, intending to blog about what was happening and get a scoop on everyone. The first thing that came up, though, when I booted up was a chat site dedicated to Willie Nelson, on which he himself had just posted that his plane was going down. I was even more upset by losing the scoop than him crashing.

At that point my wife woke me up with a snuggle, and our real day began.

I'm not what you'd call a Willie Nelson fan, but I don't dislike him and I have enjoyed his songs when they play. All in all I'm glad he's not dead. If the events in the dream were to happen in real life, it would probably go about like I described, except I would post with my phone, and I would be much more freaked out and saddened by his post than upset about losing the scoop. (If you're reading this, Mr. Nelson, may all your landings be happy and safe.)

What it's all about

I've had a blog on Yahoo for a bit now, but it's starting to be a bit constraining. I looked around a bit and found that blogger.com seems to let me do more in the way of customization, etc., so here I am. I do have friends on Yahoo, so I'll likely continue to post there, but anything not specific to Yahoo will likely be here too. In time I'm sure this will become my primary blog, once I'm used to the new power - I hope it doesn't go to my head. :)

I see there's a spot on the posting form for entering the time and date. If that works like it seems it aught to I may backfill with some old informative posts of mine. So if you're seeing older posts than this one, other than one or two test posts, those were added later. They're still interesting, though, else I wouldn't bring them over.

See you all later!

Blog Visitor Tracking Map

A recent commenter had one of these visitor maps in his blog. Looked pretty cool, so I thought I'd give it a try myself.



Create your own visitor map!

The Blog Entry That Never Was

Early last week I thought of an idea for a regular or semi-regular feature for this blog, the purpose being to have something that gets me posting regularly so I'll get in the habit of posting and not let this thing peter out. I was going to collect amusing spam subject lines and make a poll out of the top five or so from each week.

I had it all figured out. I created a text file and made a link to it from my Start menu so I could quickly access it as needed. I would paste the amusing subjects into it as a list, then pick the best five each week for the poll and add some humorous commentary. It seemed so simple. Unfortunately, since I have a fairly quick & effective spam screening system - I have to, monitoring a dozen addresses for the biz - I underestimated the sheer volume of the stuff.

At first I figured I could break it up into a daily semi-finalist post, but I quickly concluded it's just all too much. I think I ended up saving about three days worth of the amusing ones before giving up.

Anyway, here they are. The quality varies as this is from the initial collection phase.

• Me again Johnson
• All love enhancers on one portal!
• say unto Moses prayed saying, Arise, go in the daughter
• replica watches, rolex replicas, fake watches
• Message subject
• Full of health? Then don't click!
• Mankinds free of erectile dysfunction!
• Recapture a bito f your youth again
• 60% off Generíc Víagra __ %junk
• propane glamor ruthless
• Hey, buddy, you must be very disappointed of it!
• Wholesale Oceanview Lots Available
• Damn, you can not stop premature ejjacullation!
• Partial-time job vacations
• Urgent vacations
• Avoid enhancement pills
• monogrammed wick
• Merciless ED fighter
• Enjoy Put aside any doubts and stuff, this terrific product for smart males really does what you need!
• font rickshaw
• for him, why wilt thou canst thou make a man, was an
• twinge deed
• Did you know that Americans have the longest sex than any other nation. With our Soft Viagra tabs this pleasure can last up to 4 hours.
• Must have medications.
• Dude get all u need, here
• My peenis is always hard and is able to move without interruption!
• gay smoggy
• Dear Sir, i am interested in it
• abomination of Pharez: whom custom in our father said,
• Your penis is smaller than the smallest cell phone. Forget about it with Penis Enlarge Patch.
• Different penis enlargement methods damage the cells inside of the very dick. With Penis Enlarge Patch this will never happen.
• With every inches of your dick your popularity grows with extremely high speed. Thats why you should try Penis Enlarge Patch.
• Its possible because I always use Extrra-Time!
• life buoy intimate
• Lots of pleasure waits for you right after you take this medicine
• Nevaeh tried this and loved it.
• With our Advanced Gain Pro Penis Enlargement Pills your dick will bigger than Eiffel Tower.
• so on column
• Attention North American resident
• To the maritime
• it's good to be fit
• My Friend, You are in Trouble
• Hey! tell your friends to hit me up
• and full, of Zion.
• Look sophisticated on your vacation
• Pop singer Robbie Williams narrates the story, and Mark Knopfler provides the music.
• Notice your penis to be wider during
• Look sophisticated on your vacation
• Be 18th again,
• go oarsmanship
• It leaves out any consideration of steady hares.
• Rise Above Silicon
• This is most modern and safe way not to cover with shame
• Can you be like a man?
• Gamblers Love This
• Pop Bob Fort
• Shes already naked but you are not ready yet. Viagra Soft Tabs can prepare you in a tick.
• Got smart
• Enjoy multi-orgasms using this powerful thing

Camera Phone Tips

Lifehacker.com has just posted these interesting tips on using your camera phone.

I don't have a camera phone - I don't even have a color display on mine - but I know some of you bloggers do. Now's your chance to get some tips on how to get better pics out of them for your blogs.

Entry for November 01, 2006

To kick off this the first entry in my Secret Blog, let's all sing the Blog song!

It's blog, it's blog,
It's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
It's blog, it's blog, it's better than bad, it's good.

Everyone wants a blog
You're gonna love it, blog
Come on and get your blog
Everyone needs a blog
blog blog blog

(appologies & credit to the creators of Ren & Stimpy)

Okay. Not too original and a bit of a stretch, but I've got the wood background going here so it works well enough. And there's trees. Bite me.

The Secret Photo above is a small sample of the fall foliage surrounding the Secret Lair.

I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable Halloween. Perhaps more later.